Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will set a date for introducing regulations on the consumer experience of electric vehicle charging, including network roaming and a 99 per cent reliability standard.

Jesse Norman: The Government is currently finalising the drafting of the legislation and will lay the regulations in Parliament as soon as possible.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the impact on the consumer experience of vehicle charging of mandating that public charge point networks must roam (a) with one other provider or (b) with all other providers.

Jesse Norman: The Government has considered a number of options to introduce roaming to the public charging network. Mandating that chargepoint operators must connect to at least one external roaming provider offers the most flexibility to industry and room for innovation. The Government will be laying legislation in Parliament to mandate roaming soon, with enforcement coming into effect 24 months after the legislation comes into force. If the Government does not see sufficient progress within that timeframe, it may consider designating approved providers. However, the intention is that the market will converge on a handful of roaming providers or apps that offer the best experience for consumers and fleet drivers.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many electric charging points there are in (a) Leeds, (b) Leeds North West constituency, (c) Adel and Wharfedale, (d) Headingley and Hyde Park, (e) Otley and Yeadon and (f) Yeadon.

Jesse Norman: Data held by the Department for Transport on electric vehicle charging devices is sourced from those installed or funded under government approved grant schemes, operated by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and from the electric vehicle charging platform Zap-Map. Charging devices not supplied via these schemes or recorded on Zap-Map are not included and the accurate number of charging devices may be higher than recorded in these figures. The below table details for (a), (b) and in part for (c), (d) and (e):i. the number of publicly available electric vehicle charging devices as at 1st January 2023 according to Zap-Map;ii. the number of domestic electric vehicle charging devices as funded by the Domestic Recharge Scheme (DRS) as at the scheme end in 2014;iii. the number of domestic electric vehicle charging devices funded through the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) at 1st October 2022 and;iv. workplace electric vehicle charging sockets funded through the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) at 1st October 2022.  i.) Public charging devicesii.) DRS charging devicesiii.) EVHS charging devicesiv.) WCS charging sockets(a) Leeds4122124,908685(b) Leeds North West constituency322970835(c) Adel and Wharfedale--3573(d) Headingley and Hyde Park--307(e) Otley and Yeadon--14119 The data across columns should not be summed to create a total as the public charging device statistics and the EVHS statistics count charging devices whereas WCS counts charging sockets, making them incompatible to sum together. The remaining data requested for (c) Adel and Wharfedale, (d) Headingley and Hyde Park, (e) Otleyand Yeadon and (f) Yeadon are unavailable as the department is unable to publish data at these geographic levels. A geographic breakdown of data from the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant (EVCG) scheme has not yet been published and so has been excluded from this table. The most recently available published data from the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) show no electric vehicle charging devices have yet been installed in Leeds through the scheme. However, as of 1st October 2022, funding had been awarded to Leeds City Council to install 42 charging devices.

Travel: Finance

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the £2 billion of funding allocated for active travel has been spent as of 17 February 2023.

Jesse Norman: The Government expects to invest over £850 million in active travel between 2020-21 and 2022-23 – a record amount of funding. This includes the £200m of capital funding available for local authorities announced on the 6th February. This funding is in addition to other sources of funding such as the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS).

TransPennine Express: Standards

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of TransPennine Express trains were cancelled between Huddersfield and Leeds in the last six months.

Huw Merriman: The Department does not routinely collect this information centrally as this is the responsibility of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). Their latest published data on train cancellations can be found on the ORR website.

Taxis

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish a response to the consultation entitled Taxi and private hire vehicle best practice guidance, published on 28 March 2022.

Mr Richard Holden: The consultation on updated Best Practice Guidance for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England closed in June 2022. The Department is considering the responses carefully and will issue its response in due course.

Bus Services: Disability

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress his Department has been made on ensuring all buses have audio announcements.

Mr Richard Holden: We have required buses funded through the government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme to provide audible and visible information as standard.We also plan to require the provision of audible and visible information on local bus and coach services across Great Britain, and intend to introduce the Accessible Information Regulations shortly.

Public Transport: Visual Impairment

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to help (a) improve the accessibility of public transport for people with sight loss and (b) increase the level of audio-visual passenger information on buses.

Mr Richard Holden: We are committed to making public transport safer for visually impaired passengers and have provided £75m to Network Rail to install tactile paving on all remaining station platforms by 2025. We also plan to require the provision of audible and visible information on local bus and coach services across Great Britain, and intend to introduce the Accessible Information Regulations shortly. We have allocated £3.55m to the Real Time Information Group, who will be supporting small operators with the upfront costs of the planned Regulations.

Bus Services: South West

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 February 2023 to Question 141621 on Bus Services: Finance, whether he plans to support the bus sector in (a) Plymouth and (b) the South West after Bus Recovery Grant funding ends on 31 March 2023.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the end of the bus recovery grant in March 2023 on bus services in (a) Plymouth and (b) Devon.

Mr Richard Holden: On Friday 17 February, the Government announced that we will provide up to £80 million to extend the Bus Recovery Grant for a further three months until 30 June 2023. Bus operators and local transport authorities in Plymouth and the South West will benefit from this funding.

Driving Tests: Greater London

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time was for a practical driving test in (a) London and (b) the London Borough of Hounslow in the latest period for which data is available.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to help increase the availability of practical driving tests in London.

Mr Richard Holden: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is working hard to provide as many practical driving test appointments as possible at all test centres, including in London. The latest driving examiner recruitment campaign has resulted in 13 new driving examiners in London, and the current campaign aims to bring in even more examiners to the London area. In January, the average waiting time for a car practical driving test in the London Borough of Hounslow was 12.6 weeks, compared with the national average of 14.2 weeks.The January average waiting time for a car practical driving test in the London and the South East area was 16 weeks.

Cycling: Hampstead and Kilburn

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) safety, (b) availability and (c) accessibility of cycling routes in Hampstead and Kilburn constituency.

Jesse Norman: The responsibility for road management in London is primarily shared between Transport for London, which manages London’s red routes, and London boroughs, which manage the majority of local roads in their areas. It is for those bodies to decide what measures to bring forward.

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with Guide Dogs UK on (a) illegal pavement parking and (b) the steps the Government will take to tackle this parking.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department has held discussions with Guide Dogs UK on the issue of pavement parking and is open to further dialogue. Guide Dogs UK also participated in our consultation on measures to tackle inconsiderate pavement parking. We will publish the formal response to the consultation, and announce next steps, as soon as possible.

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Government will publish its response to the 2020 consultation on pavement parking

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help tackle unauthorised pavement parking.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of pavement parking provision for those with a vision impairment.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, why his Department has not published its response to the consultation on managing pavement parking; and when he plans to publish a response to that consultation.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department consulted on measures to address inconsiderate pavement parking in 2020 and received over 15,000 responses. We have been considering all views expressed, including from those with vision impairments, and the options for managing pavement parking. This is a complex issue and we want to ensure that local authorities have appropriate and effective tools at their disposal. We will publish the formal consultation response and announce next steps as soon as possible.

East Coast Main Line

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Scottish Government and (b) its agencies on the upgrade of the East Coast Main Line.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) the Scottish Government or (b) Scottish agencies on the upgrade of the A1 Northumberland into Scotland.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has been made on the recommendations of the Union Connectivity Review relating to the upgrade and improvement of the East Coast Main Line and A1.

Huw Merriman: The Government is considering the recommendation in Lord Peter Hendy's independent Union Connectivity Review for an assessment of the East Coast road and rail transport corridor alongside existing projects and the major upgrade of the East Coast Main Line included in the Integrated Rail Plan. Ministers and officials maintain regular dialogue with the Scottish Government on a wide range of issues including Lord Hendy’s recommendations and the upgrade of the East Coast Main Line.

Trams: Greater Manchester

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2022 to Question 25813 on Trams: Greater Manchester, what recent progress has been made on assessing the strategic outline business case for the Bolton to Radcliffe tram connection.

Mr Richard Holden: In November 2020, the Government awarded £50,000 of Restoring Your Railway Ideas funding to Transport for Greater Manchester to develop a Strategic Outline Business Case to reinstate passenger services on the Bolton-Radcliffe/Bolton-Bury line. The scheme’s Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) is currently under consideration by the Department.

Travel: Finance

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2023 to Question 140382 on Travel: Finance, what the (a) actual and (b) predicted (i) capital and (ii) revenue funding was for active travel in each financial financial year between 2020-21 and 2024-25; and what the purpose is of each budget line.

Jesse Norman: YearCapital (£ million)Revenue (£ million)2020-211921152021-22209702022-23200 (predicted)69 (actual) 2 (predicted) The table above outlines actual dedicated funding for active travel for the period 2020/21 to 2022/23 unless indicated as predicted funding. These figures do not include funding from wider sources within the Department such as the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS). The Autumn Statement of 17 November confirmed the Department for Transport’s overall funding levels for 2023-24 and 2024-25. The Department is currently considering the budget for active travel as part of its examination of all future spending plans following that Statement. Capital funding typically funds walking and cycling infrastructure programmes such as the Active Travel Fund. Revenue funding supports a range of programmes to enable more people to walk, wheel and cycle including the Capability Fund and Bikeability.

Cycling and Walking: Finance

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the policy paper entitled Cycling and walking plan for England, published on 27 July 2020, whether he plans to spend the £2 billion of ringfenced funding for active travel in the period between 2020-21 to 2024-25; and with reference to the policy paper entitled The second cycling and walking investment strategy, published on 6 July 2022, whether he plans to spend the £1.298 billion of ringfenced funding for cycling and walking in the period between 2020-21 to 2024-25.

Jesse Norman: The Government expects to invest over £850 million in active travel between 2020-21 and 2022-23 – a record amount of funding. This is in addition to other sources of funding such as the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS). CRSTS delivery plans were published in July 2022 for seven eligible city regions and include details of active travel elements. The Autumn Statement of 17 November confirmed the Department for Transport’s overall funding levels for 2023-24 and 2024-25. The Department is currently considering the budget for active travel as part of its examination of all future spending plans following that Statement.

Cycling and Walking: Finance

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department's cycling and walking investment strategy active travel investment model predicts will be needed to achieve his Department's objective to (a) double cycling and (b) increasing walking trips by 2025; and if he will publish the (i) results and (ii) supporting evidence from that model.

Jesse Norman: The actual amount will depend on a wide variety of factors including the high degree of uncertainty over the long-term impact of the pandemic on walking and cycling stages. The publication of this part of the research has been delayed as a result of the pandemic and other pressures. Much has changed since it was carried out, and the Department is considering next steps.

Travel: Finance

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department spent on Active Travel in the financial year 2020-21.

Jesse Norman: The Department spent £307 million on dedicated active travel funding in 2020/21. This figure does not include funding from wider sources within the Department.

Bus Services: Fares

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will continue with the £2 bus fare policy beyond March 2023.

Mr Richard Holden: On Friday 17 February, we announced that we will provide up to £75 million to extend the £2 bus fare cap until 30 June 2023.

Bus Services: Fares

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport,  what estimate he has made of the number of bus services that will cease following the end of the £2 fare cap on 31 March.

Mr Richard Holden: On Friday 17 February, we announced that we will provide up to £75 million to extend the £2 bus fare cap until 30 June 2023. To help maintain bus services, we also announced on 17 February that we will provide £80 million to extend the Bus Recovery Grant until 30 June 2023. This will help to continue to protect vital bus services and take Government support for the bus sector to over £2 billion since March 2020.

Travel: Concessions

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has been made of the potential merits of standardising free travel arrangements for people over 60 across England.

Mr Richard Holden: The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme is a scheme that provides free off-peak bus travel for those of pensionable age (currently 66) in England. Expenditure on the scheme was around £896m in 2021/22. Local Authorities are already able to provide free travel for the over 60s at their own discretion, funded by local resources. We receive a number of requests to expand the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme and need to carefully consider the financial impact of expanding the scheme on the public purse. In the 2021 National Bus Strategy we committed to a review of a number of aspects of concessionary travel, including the appeals process, reimbursement guidance and the reimbursement calculator and we plan to undertake this work in 2023. For rail travel, the Senior Railcard is available for the over 60s, offering one third off a wide range of tickets.

Aviation: Compensation

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that people entering or leaving the UK by air benefit from the protections of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 by entering into bilateral treaties with third countries.

Jesse Norman: The Government is committed to protecting the rights of passengers when travelling by air. Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004 as retained in UK law (Regulation 261/2004), makes provisions on the rights of passengers in the event of flight cancellations, long delays, or denied boarding. It applies to all flights departing from the UK, arriving to the UK on a UK or EU carrier, or arriving in an EU member state on a UK carrier. The rights of passengers travelling on any other flight will depend on the laws of the country it departs from, and where the carrier is registered.

Scotland Office

Question

Jerome Mayhew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Scotland Office, what assessment he has made of the impact of the level of defence spending in Scotland on the Scottish economy.

Mark Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Scotland Office, what assessment he has made of the impact of the level of defence spending in Scotland on the Scottish economy.

John Lamont: Defence spend contributes significantly to delivering thousands of high-skilled jobs and investment in Scotland, not least through shipbuilding at which we are a world leader. The latest figures show that in 2021/22, MoD expenditure with industry and commerce in Scotland totalled more than £2 billion. That is the equivalent of £370 per person and higher than the average of £310 per person for the whole UK.

Question

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for the Scotland Office, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on potential joint working on Family Hubs.

John Lamont: The Government is investing around £300 million into family support and start for life services following my Rt Hon Friend’s Early Years Review. This will transform family support and help every child to reach their full potential. I would welcome my Rt Hon Friend to join me to look at how we might share her valuable work with the Scottish Government so that parents, families and children across all of the UK can benefit.

King's Theatre Edinburgh: Finance

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the provision of funding for the refurbishment of the Kings Theatre in Edinburgh.

Mr Alister Jack: Ministers and officials from this department have attended a number of meetings with counterparts from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, regarding the future of the King’s Theatre, Edinburgh. The UK Government appreciates the historical and cultural importance of this remarkable building. However, as culture is a devolved matter, any further funding campaign would need to be led by the Scottish Government.

Northern Ireland Office

Apprentices: Taxation

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans has he to review how funds from the Apprenticeship levy are distributed in the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive.

Mr Steve Baker: The Northern Ireland Executive receives additional funding as a result of the UK-wide Apprenticeship Levy, which it can choose to use in its devolved areas of responsibility, including apprenticeships policy. Apprenticeships policy is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive Department for the Economy. That is why the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive, and a fully functioning Northern Ireland Assembly, is a key priority for the UK Government.

Department of Health and Social Care

Community Diagnostic Centres

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who is responsible for the commissioning and delivery of care within (a) Community Diagnostic Centres and (b) Surgical Diagnostic Hubs; and whether his Department has plans to publish data on the activities of (i) Community Diagnostic Centres and (ii) Surgical Diagnostic Hubs.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Pregnancy

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the age profile was of pregnant women in (a) England and (b) each region of England in the (i) most recent period for which data is available and (ii) (A) five and (B) ten years before the most recent period for which data is available.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Pregnancy

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the body mass index of pregnant women in (a) England and (b) each region of England in the (i) most recent period for which data is available and (ii) (A) five and (B) ten years before the most recent period for which data is available.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many community Covid-19 vaccination clinics have been (a) closed and (b) issued with a notice of closure in Liverpool West Derby constituency in 2023.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many community Covid-19 vaccination clinics have been issued with notice of closure in Liverpool constituency in 2023 .

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many community Covid-19 vaccination clinics have been issued with notice of closure in 2023.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that people who are eligible for Covid-19 booster vaccinations have access to local vaccination clinics.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Smoking: Health Education

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2023 to Question 136680 on Smoking: Health education, for what reason (a) the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and (b) his Department is unable to provide information on Public Health England.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health and Social Care: Staff

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full-time equivalent  staff are currently working on the Major Diseases Strategy.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Fenwick Hospital

Sir Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to hold back the proposed sale by the NHS of the site and buildings of the Fenwick Hospital, Lyndhurst until (a) documentation is produced specifying (i) who owns the title and (ii) what the terms were under which the original gift of ownership to the Lyndhurst community came under control of the NHS in 1948 and (b) sufficient time has been given to the League of Friends of the Fenwick Hospital further to develop plans for its future and assemble financial support to implement them.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Human Papillomavirus: Screening and Vaccination

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve uptake of (a) the HPV vaccine and (b) smear tests among women of all ages.

Helen Whately: To support increased uptake, an annual communication campaign is delivered to promote the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in a wide range of settings such as general practices (GPs) and universities. Anyone who has missed their immunisation offer also remain eligible until their 25th birthday.To improve uptake of cervical screening, in some Primary Care Network areas, appointments can now be made in any Primary Care setting, rather than just at one’s own GP during evenings and on weekends. To further improve uptake, an evaluation on the acceptability and effectiveness of HPV self-sampling is taking place. The YouScreen Study aims to provide evidence on the acceptability of self-testing and the HPValidate study aims to see if self-testing provides the same level of accuracy as an HPV test undertaken by a clinician.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many smear tests the NHS performed in Hornsey and Wood Green constituency in each year since 2013.

Helen Whately: The number of smear tests the National Health Service performed as part of the NHS cervical screening programme, for women aged 25 to 64 in Haringey, in each year since 2013 is listed in the table below. PeriodNumber of individuals screened2012/201321,5702013/201420,8842014/201519,9722015/201618,5212016/201719,3922017/201819,9242018/201920,2152019/202019,5872020/202118,9402021/202221,213 Data is recorded by local authority, not by constituency. Recording of data runs from 1 April to 31 March the following year.

Health: Disadvantaged

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the commitment to prepare a white paper on health disparities in the white paper entitled Levelling Up the United Kingdom, published on 2 February 2022, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle health disparities through the development of the Major Conditions Strategy.

Helen Whately: The Major Conditions Strategy’s focus is on tackling conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England, including cancers; cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes; chronic respiratory diseases; dementia; mental ill health; and musculoskeletal conditions. Health disparities exist across a wide variety of conditions, from cancer to mental health, and contribute to stark and unacceptable variation in the number of years people live in good health.The Major Conditions Strategy will apply a geographical lens to each condition to address regional disparities in health outcomes, supporting the levelling up mission to narrow the gap in healthy life expectancy by 2030.

Health: Disadvantaged

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Major Conditions Strategy will consider the wider determinants of health.

Helen Whately: The Major Conditions Strategy’s focus is on tackling conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England: cancers; cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes; chronic respiratory diseases; dementia; mental ill health; and musculoskeletal conditions. The Strategy will cover prevention to treatment for all six conditions and we will continue to work closely with stakeholders, citizens and the National Health Service in the coming weeks to identify actions that will have the most impact.

Health Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 24 January 2023 on Government Action on Major Conditions and Diseases, HCWS514, whether the Major Conditions Strategy will be a (a) five or (b) ten year strategy.

Helen Whately: The Major Conditions Strategy will include both immediate and long term action to tackle major conditions. The Strategy’s focus is on tackling conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England: cancers; cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes; chronic respiratory diseases; dementia; mental ill health; and musculoskeletal conditions.

Community Diagnostic Centres: Endoscopy

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Community Diagnostic Centres are (a) operational in England and (b) provide endoscopy treatments; and if he will list the Diagnostic Centres that (i) currently provide and (ii) plan to provide endoscopy treatments.

Helen Whately: 92 Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) are operational in England. The following provided endoscopy treatments in 2022/23:- Barking Community Hospital CDC- Basildon Community Diagnostics CDC- Bishop Auckland CDC- Cannock Chase CDC- CDC Poole at Dorset Health Village- Clacton CDC- Clatterbridge Diagnostics CDC- Coventry City Community- Darlington Memorial CDC- East Norfolk CDC- East Surrey CDC- Humber Coast and Vale CDC- Kidderminster Treatment Centre CDC- Kings Mill CDC- Lymington New Forest Hospital CDC- Manchester and Trafford CDC- Mile End Hospital CDC- Norfolk and Waveney CDC- Northern Care Alliance CDC – multi-site- Northern Care Alliance – Salford- Penrith CDC- Portsmouth CDC- Preston Fatima CDC- Preston Healthport CDC- Queen Mary’s Hospital Roehampton CDC- Queen Mary’s Hospital Roehampton CDC (Kingston)- Rossendale CDC (Burnley General Hospital)- Slough CDC- South Warwickshire CDC- St Helen’s CDC- St Mary’s Community Hospital CDC- Stoke on Trent CDC- University Hospital of North Durham CDC- Warwickshire North CDC- West Berkshire Community Hospital CDC- West Norfolk CDC The following approved CDCs including expansions to existing CDCs are planning to provide endoscopy treatments:- Andover CDC- Bradford District and Craven CDC- Cannock Chase CDC- CDC Poole @ Dorset Health Village Club- Clacton CDC- East Surrey CDC- Hinckley CDC- Island CDC- Kidderminster CDC- Lymington New Forest Hospital CDC- Manchester and Trafford CDC- Mansfield CDC- Northern Care Alliance CDC – Oldham- Queen Mary’s Roehampton CDC- Rossendale CDC- St Helens CDC- Westmorland CDC

Terminal Illnesses

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the UK's population has been diagnosed with a terminal illness in each of the last ten years

Helen Whately: There are no centrally recorded statistics on the proportion of the population diagnosed with a terminal illness in the United Kingdom in the last 10 years.

Surgical Mesh Implants: Medical Treatments

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in the context of treatment of complications from pelvic mesh implant, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Board requirement that an Extra Contractual Referral is approved and signed by the surgeon responsible for the original mesh implantation on (a) the emotional well-being of the patient making the request, (b) the likelihood of approval and (c) time taken to make a decision on an approval.

Maria Caulfield: No assessment has been made. This is a devolved matter for Northern Ireland’s Department of Health to respond to.

Surgical Mesh Implants: Medical Treatments

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of cancellations for (a) appointments and (b) treatments in each mesh treatment centre in each month since January 2021 to date.

Maria Caulfield: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Coronavirus: Surveys

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to provide funding for theOffice for National Statistics covid-19 infection survey after March 2023.

Maria Caulfield: We are currently considering next steps for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, which has been an important tool in developing our understanding of COVID-19. We appreciate the contributions made by members of the public who have participated in the survey.

Coronavirus: Surveys

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of continuing the ONS Covid Survey; and what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on extending funding for the ONS Covid Survey beyond March 2023.

Maria Caulfield: The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care meets regularly with other Cabinet colleagues. We are currently considering next steps for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, which has been an important tool in developing our understanding of COVID-19. We appreciate the contributions made by members of the public who have participated in the survey.

NHS: Cygnet Healthcare

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average daily cost to the NHS was for a person receiving mental health support in a hospital ward owned by Cygnet Health Care in the latest period for which data is available.

Maria Caulfield: The information requested is not held centrally.

NHS: Staff

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of Tier 2 visa rules on NHS staff (a) recruitment and (b) retention.

Will Quince: No assessment has been made.

Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when negotiations on a new Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access will begin and finish; what opportunities for input will be provided to (a) civil society organisations and (b) other stakeholders; and if he will make a statement.

Will Quince: Negotiations will start this spring and are expected to conclude in the latter part of the year. The Department has been running a series of workshops from January 2023 until March 2023 to engage with a range of stakeholders including industry bodies, patient organisations, and relevant civil society organisations.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what happens to stocks of Covid-19 vaccines that have been purchased for use at a Covid-19 community vaccination clinic when that clinic is closed.

Maria Caulfield: Vaccination clinics that are closing are required to manage the process to ensure viable vaccine stock is either used prior to closure or transferred to an alternative active site in advance of the planned closure. Any vaccine movement that take place must be in accordance with the policy for Transfer of COVID-19 vaccines between National Health Service vaccination sites and be conducted using the dedicated vaccine transfer application, to ensure full visibility of the movement of each vial of vaccine. In some circumstances the stock may need to be disposed of locally, for instance where the stock is very close to its expiry and cannot be used by the site or by nearby sites before the expiry date.All sites follow a stringent weekly stock control process. This site level inventory data is monitored on a daily basis to ensure stock levels are carefully managed in line with actual vaccination events and expected demand to ensure vaccine stock levels for each site are carefully controlled and aligned to predicted requirements.

Bupropion

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the supply of Bupropion.

Will Quince: The Department is aware of a shortage with Bupropion. The resupply date of this product is to be confirmed by the manufacturer. We have issued comprehensive management guidance to healthcare professionals on this shortage in December 2022.

St James' Hospital Portsmouth: Listed Buildings

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the full the Disposal Strategy for the historic buildings that were part of St James Hospital in Portsmouth.

Will Quince: In conjunction with neighbouring landowners, NHS Property Services with Homes England and the University of Portsmouth prepared a Masterplan Framework Document in 2017 to outline the core development principles to guide and support any planning applications relating to the St James Hospital and Forest Lodge buildings. A copy of this document is attached. Homes England acquired the development interest in the remainder of the site in 2015.2017 Masterplan Framework Document (pdf, 10307.0KB)

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to establish Alcohol Care Teams in hospitals with the highest rates of alcohol harm and socioeconomic deprivation.

Neil O'Brien: From March 2020, NHS England has funded a phased roll out of optimally staffed Alcohol Care Teams in 25% of hospital sites located in areas of highest need in England, 47 out of 189 hospitals. All of these services are now in delivery with 22 out of 47 services optimally staffed.

Earwax: Medical Treatments

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with the Care Quality Commission to review the impact of the decision to require the registration of healthcare professionals providing ear wax removal services.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Care Quality Commission on withdrawing ear wax removal services provided by healthcare professionals from their scope of registration.

Neil O'Brien: The Department has undertaken a post-implementation review of three sets of Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulations. The Department will give careful consideration to any changes to legislation, including the advantages and disadvantages of continuing to include ear wax removal services provided by healthcare professions in scope of services which require CQC registration.

Health Services: Finance

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to £1 billion dedicated fund to help to support urgent and emergency care services, whether any of that funding will be allocated to private providers.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2023 to Question 136769, whether any of this funding will be allocated to private providers.

Will Quince: The £1 billion of dedicated funding to support capacity will be allocated directly to integrated care boards. They will subsequently, as with other commissioning allocations, be responsible for meeting the urgent and emergency care requirements that their locale presents. As such it is not currently possible to say how this funding will be spent.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter of 9 December 2022 from 33 health and care organisations on the rehabilitation workforce and the NHS long-term workforce plan.

Will Quince: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care received the letter of 9 December 2022 and will respond in due course.

Earwax: Medical Treatments

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his department has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating guidance ear wax removal services, to allow the service to be made available at GPs.

Neil O'Brien: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance no longer advising manual ear syringing due to risks associated, such as trauma to their ear drum or infection. NICE guidance suggests alternative arrangements for treatment of excessive ear wax, such as considering ear irrigation using an electronic irrigator, micro suction, or another method of earwax removal such as manual removal using a probe.General practitioner services follow this guidance and are increasingly recommending self-care methods as the primary means to support the safe removal of ear wax, such as in cases of deafness.Commissioners should ensure that there is appropriate access to ear wax removal services which are free at the point of use, where these are necessary and clinically appropriate for a patient.

Mortality Rates

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the causes of the rise of excess deaths from non covid-19 illnesses in 2023; and if he will make a statement.

Neil O'Brien: It is likely that a combination of factors has contributed to an increase in the number of deaths at home, including high flu prevalence and health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. We are taking steps to help reduce excess deaths.The National Health Service has published a delivery plan setting out a clear vision for how the NHS will recover and expand elective services over the next three years. The plan commits the NHS to deliver 9 million additional treatments and diagnostic procedures over the next three years and around 30% more elective activity than it was doing before the pandemic by 2024/25.We are making progress in restoring NHS Health Check delivery, a core part of our cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention pathway. Delivery is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by June 2023 and we are creating a national digital NHS Health Check so we can go even further. We continue to work closely with partners to consider what more can be done to improve the prevention, detection, diagnosis and management of CVD and we will set out our plan in the Major Conditions Strategy.

Dental Services: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the average waiting time for dental appointments in the London Borough of Havering.

Neil O'Brien: This data requested is not held centrally, as appointments for National Health Service dental treatment are managed directly by dental practices.

Dental Services: Romford

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are registered with NHS dentists in Romford constituency.

Neil O'Brien: No estimate has been made. Unlike general practitioners' patients, dental patients are not registered to a particular practice. A dental practice can accept a patient for a course of treatment if they have capacity to deliver that treatment. There are no geographical restrictions on which dental practice a patient may attend, allowing patients the choice of where they receive treatment.

Community Hospitals

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department provides funding to local NHS organisations to redevelop old cottage hospitals.

Will Quince: The Department does not have specific funding set aside for the redevelopment of old cottage hospitals. The Department provides national funding to schemes that meet the conditions of specific national programmes and operational capital. This operational capital is set by NHS England at integrated care board (ICB) level and deals with the day-to-day capital needs of the National Health Service, including renewal and replacement of plant, Information Technology and equipment, minor building works, and investment to deliver core clinical strategies. Operational capital can be prioritised by ICBs in line with local plans and health strategies, including to redevelop old cottage hospitals if this is considered a local priority.

Hospitals: Construction

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total cost to the public purse of legal advice for the New Hospitals Programme was in (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2020-21.

Will Quince: The New Hospital Programme is a national programme that is responsible for the delivery of the Government’s commitment to build 40 new hospitals. As with all Government Major Projects the national programme has engaged with contractors, including for legal advice, on necessary work packages which have brought technical skills, support, and experience on a temporary and specific basis. We continually review the number of consultants being utilised by the New Hospital Programme.The following table outlines the total cost of legal advice for the New Hospital Programme for financial years 2021/22 and 2020/21. 2020/212021/22Total cost of legal advice for the New Hospital Programme£83,000£1.1 million

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to certificates which exempt the holder from prescription charges, how many (a) Medical Exemption Certificates (b) NHS tax credit exemption certificates and (c) Maternity Exemption Certificates were held in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The following table shows the number of certificates issued in each requested category, in each of the last five years. This information has been provided by the NHS Business Services Authority. Data on certificates held at any one point in time changes as certificates expire, eligibility changes and individuals choose or choose not to apply for a medical or maternity exemption certificate. Certificate Issued YearMaternity CertificateMedical CertificateTax Credit CertificateGrand Total2018474,982463,0223,793,6844,731,6882019483,299457,0213,437,5944,377,9142020444,670366,9602,555,0643,366,6942021463,214387,7871,977,4862,828,4872022471,603397,5521,540,8482,410,003Grand total2,337,7682,072,34213,304,67617,714,786

Breast Cancer: Screening

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to remove barriers to attending breast cancer screening.

Neil O'Brien: Steps being taken to remove barriers to attending breast cancer screening in the United Kingdom include continuation of investment in and promoting the use of text message alerts to remind women of upcoming appointments, rolling out local and national media campaigns to raise awareness of the breast screening programme as required and development of improved inclusive information for women.Evidence demonstrates that continued investment in mobile breast screening units, which the Government supports, is the best way to increase capacity in breast screening while also improving access and addressing health inequalities. As such we have invested £10 million for breast screening units to deliver 29 new breast cancer screening units, 58 remote access upgrades and nearly 70 life-saving service upgrades.

Lung Cancer: Screening

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee, if he will set a timeline for implementing a targeted lung screening programme.

Neil O'Brien: The Department acknowledges the UK National Screening Committee recommendation, from their meeting in June 2022, for a national targeted lung cancer screening programme and is considering this with NHS England.

Fossil Fuels: Health Hazards

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of fossil fuel on human health.

Neil O'Brien: The Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK 2012 report details the health impacts from climate change, which is fossil fuel-driven, but it does not separate out the specific impacts from fossil fuels. Under the second National Adaptation Plan, an updated version of this report is due to be published in 2023. UK Health Security Agency is currently not undertaking any research on the specific health impacts from fossil fuels in the context of climate change.Air pollution has a significant effect on public health, long-term exposure to air pollution reduces life expectancy, mainly due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and lung cancer. Evidence of associations with a wide range of health effects continues to build. Adverse health effects are associated with proximity to traffic, traffic intensity or concentrations of traffic-related air pollutants. Residential burning of solid fuels which includes coal can emit very high levels of air pollutants inside and outside of the home.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2022 to Question 99933 on Mental Health Services: Children and Young People, whether he plans to introduce waiting time standards for children and young people's mental health services for (a) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessments, (b) autism assessments and (c) other assessments carried out by those services; what estimate he has made of the level of workforce required to meet (i) current and (ii) future demand for assessments carried out by those services; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Caulfield: We have no plans to do so. We have also made no such estimates as this would be a matter for local commissioners and service providers. We are committed to ensuring people, including children and young people, can access attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessments in a timely way and in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline NG87: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management. We are looking at how we can best achieve this. The waiting time standard for an autism assessment recommended by NICE is for a maximum waiting time of 13 weeks between a referral for assessment and a first appointment. We expect integrated care boards and providers to have due regard to NICE’s guidelines.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Children

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has taken recent steps to reduce waiting times for children who have been referred to the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder pathway.

Maria Caulfield: It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population including assessments and diagnosis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ICBs and NHS Trusts should have due regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline NG87: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management. This NICE guideline aims to improve the diagnosis of ADHD and the quality of care and support that people receive.The NICE guideline does not recommend a maximum waiting time standard from referral for an assessment of ADHD or from assessment to the point of diagnosis.  Consultant-led mental health services are covered by the National Health Service 18-week maximum waiting time.We are supporting ICBs to generally expand mental health services through the NHS Long Term Plan, which commits to increasing investment into mental health services by at least £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 so that an additional two million people can get the support they need.In a recent Westminster Hall debate held on 1 February 2023, I committed to look at how we can improve data on ADHD assessment waiting times, to help improve access to ADHD assessments in a timely way and in line with the NICE guideline.

Gender Dysphoria: Health Services

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether staff at the Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust Gender and Identity Development Service will be transferred to new regional hubs.

Maria Caulfield: The new services will need to build multi-disciplinary teams. These will include expertise in Gender Dysphoria alongside other clinical disciplines. The transformation programme aims to ensure relevant expertise is transferred to the new teams. The new providers and the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust are working together to establish a process that is consistent with employment law and with National Health Service human resources best practice.

General Practitioners: Barking and Dagenham

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on GP appointments in Barking and Dagenham; and what format data is held in.

Neil O'Brien: The Department itself does not hold data on general practice appointments. However, NHS Digital publishes general practice appointment data on the last Thursday of each month, which is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/appointments-in-general-practice.The data is published by NHS Region, and integrated care board area. Since November 2022, the publication has also included general practitioner practice level appointment data for the first time, which could be aggregated to constituency areas. This practice-level data is not available for months before October 2021.The data is published in a summary Excel spreadsheet, and in a comma-separated values file.

Hearing Impairment: Children

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support deaf children.

Maria Caulfield: The Department is taking a number of steps to support deaf children. The Action Plan on Hearing Loss (2015) sets out key objectives on hearing loss including: prevention, early diagnosis, maximising independence, and enabling people, including children to take part in every-day activities. NHS England has produced a series of guides to help deliver the recommendations of the Action Plan available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/what-works-guides-action-plan-on-hearing-loss/Commissioning of hearing services takes place at a local level based on the needs of the local population. In 2019 NHS England, with input from the National Deaf Children’s Society, published a guide for commissioners and health and local authority providers who support children and young people with hearing loss available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/what-works-chswg-guide.pdfThe guide provides practical advice to organisations, commissioners and providers on how they can ensure children with hearing loss receive the support they need throughout the system, so that they can lead successful, fulfilling and independent lives.

Speech and Language Therapy: Children

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of auditory verbal therapy for deaf children.

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the accessibility of auditory verbal therapy for deaf children in the NHS.

Maria Caulfield: No assessment has been made. In 2019 NHS England, with input from the National Deaf Children’s Society, produced a guide for commissioners and health and local authority providers who support children and young people with hearing loss. The guide provides practical advice to organisations, commissioners and providers on how they can ensure children with hearing loss receive the support they need throughout the system, so that they can lead successful, fulfilling and independent lives. The guide is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/what-works-chswg-guide.pdf

Mental Health Services: Rural Areas

Richard Foord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide mental health support, including counselling, to people living in rural communities as part of the Major Conditions Strategy.

Maria Caulfield: The Major Conditions Strategy will cover prevention to treatment for six broad conditions including mental ill health and we will continue to work closely with stakeholders, citizens and the National Health Service in coming weeks to identify actions that will have the most impact. We are already taking steps to increase access to mental health services, including for people in rural settings. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to investing an additional £2.3 billion a year into mental health services, including through integrated care board (ICB) baseline funding. As part of this, we are increasing access to NHS Talking Therapies across all parts of England, including rural areas. NHS Talking Therapies provide evidence-based support for a range of conditions. ICBs are responsible for decisions about the provision of services in their area and how funding allocations should be used to meet the needs of people in their areas. There are a range of adjustments made in the ICB allocations formula to account for how the costs of providing health care may vary between different types of rural and urban areas.

Long Covid

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to address the impact of Long Covid on NHS and social care workers.

Maria Caulfield: NHS England has invested £314 million to date to provide care for people, with post-COVID-19 syndrome, with 90 adult and 14 paediatric specialist services operating in England and available to the National Health Service and social care staff. These assess people with post-COVID-19 syndrome and direct them into care pathways which provide appropriate support and treatment.A range of support is available for NHS staff who are experiencing symptoms of post-COVID-19 syndrome, which includes training and guidance for staff as well as access to Occupational Health and Wellbeing services and local Employee Assistance Programmes.The vast majority of care workers are employed by private sector providers who determine their pay and terms and conditions of employment. The Department expects all care providers to follow good health and safety practices.

Wales Office

Freeports: Wales

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of each Welsh freeport bid on retaining Welsh language speakers within each prospective freeport's region.

David T C  Davies: The UK Government (UKG) is wholly supportive of the ambition to reach 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050. The Wales Freeport bidding prospectus asks bidders to set out how their proposals contribute to a vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language. The Wales Freeport assessment process is still ongoing. The bids are being jointly assessed by officials from the UK and Welsh governments, with results to come out in due course.

Department for Education

Office for Students: Reviews

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Public Bodies Review Programme 2023-24 will report on its review of the Office for Students.

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she expects the Public Bodies Review Programme for 2023-24 to assess the Office for Students.

Robert Halfon: The Cabinet Office has not yet published the list of public bodies to be prioritised for review in the 2023/24 financial year.It is currently the intention that the Office for Students will be reviewed under the Public Bodies Review Programme from autumn 2023, with findings likely published by the end of the financial year. These timings may change.Cabinet Office guidance outlines the requirements for reviews of public bodies, including the new requirements covering governance, accountability, efficacy and efficiency of arm’s length bodies.

Students: Loans

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government consultation on the Lifelong Loan Entitlement launched on 24 February 2022, when she will (a) publish her response to that consultation and (b) implement an Alternative Finance Product.

Robert Halfon: On 6 May 2022, the department concluded the consultation on the Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) as part of our planned pathway to delivery from 2025. This consultation, and other ongoing sector engagement, is a critical part of delivering a transformation of student finance. The department is carefully considering the contributions and will publish the response in due course.The department remains committed to delivering an Alternative Student Finance (ASF) product compatible with Islamic finance principles, and work has started to assess how we can ultimately deliver an ASF product alongside the LLE. The department will provide a further update on ASF as part of our response to the LLE consultation.

Office for Students: Finance

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the financial performance of the Office for Students.

Robert Halfon: Officials in the department and the Office for Students (OfS) regularly discuss the OfS's finances and funding and its business planning and efficiency, including the level of resource it needs to deliver its priorities.The Framework Document between the department and the OfS can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1129117/OfS_framework_document.pdf.The document sets out the governance framework within which the OfS and the department operate, and the OfS’s core responsibilities, including in relation to financial matters.

Schools: Buildings

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the highest compensation was to (a) teachers, (b) other staff and (c) children for injuries sustained in school buildings in severe disrepair in England in each of the last five years.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools were forced to close for urgent repair work in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: Responsibility for ensuring the safety and condition of school buildings lies with the responsible bodies, such as Local Authorities, trusts and voluntary aided bodies.The Department does not routinely collect or hold complete data on the information requested, as responsible bodies are not obliged to report building-related school closures.As the Department is not responsible for the management of the estate or the direct employer of staff, the Department does not routinely hold information on any injuries sustained in school buildings or compensation paid.The Department provides support to schools and responsible bodies and has allocated over £13 billion since 2015 for keeping schools safe and operational, including £1.8 billion committed during the 2022/23 financial year, informed by consistent data on the school estate. In addition, the School Rebuilding Programme will transform 500 schools over the next decade, prioritising schools in poor condition or with potential safety issues.Where the Department is notified of a significant safety issue with a school building, that cannot be managed within local resources, the Department provides support on a case-by-case basis. The Department provides immediate advisory support in all cases which involves signposting to relevant capital programmes for financial support pending eligibility.

Headteachers: Qualifications

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many unqualified (a) headteachers and (b) assistant headteachers worked in each local authority in England in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2021-22.

Nick Gibb: Information on the school workforce in England, including the number of teachers with and without qualified teacher status (QTS), is collected as part of the annual School Workforce Census each November. Information is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.As at November 2010, 180 of 43,699 (0.4%) full time equivalent (FTE) head teachers and assistant head teachers in state-funded schools in England did not hold QTS. In November 2021, 315 of 52,619 (0.6%) FTE head teachers and assistant head teachers did not hold QTS. This information by Local Authority has been provided in the attached table.The Department supports teachers and head teachers to continuously develop their expertise, including through a new and updated suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs). Eligible teachers and head teachers can gain scholarships to undertake fully funded NPQs, including specific qualifications in Headship, Executive Leadership, Senior Leadership and Early Years Leadership.Table of FTE head teachers (pdf, 173.2KB)

Special Educational Needs: Free School Meals

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children who are eligible for free school meals have been diagnosed with special educational needs and disabilities.

Nick Gibb: The Department publishes figures on the proportion of pupils in England with special educational needs (SEN) who are eligible for free school meals (FSM). The most recent figures, from the January 2022 school census, can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2021-22.A table showing counts of FSM eligibility by SEN status for all pupils in England as of January 2022 can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/dd7aa9b8-0366-4317-9409-08db08498a11.The table shows that 27% of pupils who were eligible for FSM had SEN. The school census does not collect information on pupils with disabilities.

Foster Care: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to (a) increase the national minimum allowances for children in foster care and (b) provide funding for the full costs of fostering placements in the next Budget.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of raising the National Minimum Allowances for Children in Foster Care.

Claire Coutinho: The National Minimum Allowance (NMA) is routinely uplifted each year, taking into account changes in inflation and what is affordable for local government. This year we have uplifted it by 12.43%, resulting in an increase of between £17 and £30 in allowances per week per child.Local fostering service providers are responsible for setting the allowances paid to foster carers and should review their rates each year and set out a clear policy on what their foster carers can expect. Whilst these allowances will vary in accordance with local need, they should cover the costs for caring for a child. The Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards, issued by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, under the Care Standards Act 2000, set out the expectations that are placed on foster carers and their agencies. These standards include that all foster carers receive at least the national minimum allowance plus any agreed expenses to cover the full cost of caring for each child placed with them (standard 28). More information can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/192705/NMS_Fostering_Services.pdf.

Primary Education: Assessments

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of assessing children with special educational needs and disabilities when they enter primary school as part of their baseline assessment; and if she will make a statement.

Claire Coutinho: All early years and childcare providers currently have a responsibility to identify children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and make sure they put in place support as early as possible to help these children learn and progress. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements that all early years providers must follow to ensure that every child has the best start in life and is prepared for school.The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with SEND, and practitioners must consider whether a child may have a SEND which requires specialist support.The EYFS framework includes two specific points where assessments or progress checks must be undertaken - when a child is aged between two and three, and when they turn five. These are used to review a child’s development, and identify where progress is not as expected so that appropriate support can be put in place.During the reception year, pupils also take the reception baseline assessment (RBA). The RBA acts as the starting point to enable the department to measure the progress primary schools are making with their pupils. The assessment has been designed so that almost all children, including children with SEND, will be able to access the assessment.The department has always been clear that the RBA is not a diagnostic assessment and should not be used to track or group individual children. Data gathered from the assessment is only used to create a baseline for school-level progress measures and is not shared with schools, teachers, or parents.Schools are expected to have arrangements for identifying the SEND of their pupils and for providing appropriate support to allow them to learn and progress.

Pupils: Autism

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to provide additional funding for the education of children with autism.

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to provide additional funding to schools specialising in meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Claire Coutinho: The department is providing an unprecedented level of high needs funding for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), most of which is allocated to local authorities for them to pass through to schools, including special schools.As a result of the additional funding following the Autumn Statement 2022, high needs funding will increase by £970 million in the 2023/24 financial year compared to 2022/23. This is an increase of 10.6%, and will bring total high needs funding to £10.1 billion next year. This extra funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of educating children and young people with SEND, including those with autism. From the additional funding provided at the Autumn Statement, all special schools will receive a 3.4% increase to their budgets for 2023/24.

Children: Social Services

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria are used to determine a child’s eligibility for semi-independent living through the social care system.

Claire Coutinho: It is a priority for the government that all looked after children and care leavers live in homes that meet their needs and keep them safe. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that there is sufficient provision to meet the need of children they look after, and for determining which type of setting children are placed, to meet their needs and keep them safe.The vast majority of looked after children live in foster care or in children’s homes. This must be the case for any child under the age of 16. From September 2021, the government banned the practice of placing children of this age in independent and semi-independent living arrangements that are not currently registered and inspected by Ofsted.The use of semi-independent homes has continued to grow as more older children enter the care system. These types of settings can be the right choice for some 16 and 17-year-olds. They can offer a place to live with more independence and when combined with the right level of high-quality support, they enable the young people placed there to develop the skills they need to prepare for adulthood and leaving care. Where local authorities place children in this type of setting, they must ensure that the accommodation and support is high-quality and can meet the individual needs of the child.To make sure that accommodation and support is high-quality and action can be taken where it is not, the department is investing over £142 million up to 2025 to introduce national standards and Ofsted registration and inspection requirements for providers who accommodate 16 and 17-year-old looked after children and care leavers.

Children: Social Services

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy of children’s social services departments’ budgets and (b) impact of the Stable Home, Built on Love strategy on those budgets.

Claire Coutinho: Local authorities spent £11.9 billion on children and young people’s services in the 2021/22 financial year. This spend has increased by 32% from £9 billion in 2015/16.In the 2023/24 financial year, councils will have access to £59.7 billion core spending power for their services, including children’s services. This is a 9.4% increase in cash terms on 2022/23 and includes an additional £1.3 billion, as set out in the Autumn Statement, into the Social Care Grant, further to that agreed at Spending Review 2021. This means £3.85 billion will be distributed via the Social Care Grant, available for adults’ and children’s social care in 2023/24.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has announced £200 million of additional investment to implement the reforms and build the evidence for future roll-out as set out in ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’.The department will assess any new burdens that would impact local authorities due to the reforms and will continue to work closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and HM Treasury ahead of the next Spending Review.

Schools: Mental Health Services

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons her Department has changed the criteria on the latest date to commence training for the senior mental health lead training grant.

Claire Coutinho: The department is committed to offering senior mental health lead training to all eligible schools and colleges by 2025. More than 10,000 schools and colleges have received senior mental health lead training grants so far, which includes more than 6 in 10 state-funded secondary schools. A further £10 million provided this year means up to two thirds of state schools and colleges can benefit by April 2023.​In February 2023, the department announced that eligible schools and colleges are now able to use a grant to book courses that start before 31 July 2023, providing they claim their grant by 31 March 2023. The update to the guidance page on 8 February 2023 confirms this and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/senior-mental-health-lead-training.​​This change will give senior mental health leads the flexibility they need to plan ahead for this academic year by allowing them to book onto a quality assured training course at a time of their choosing.​The guidance will be further updated to confirm the grants available for the entirety of the 2023/24 financial year in due course.​

Schools: Mental Health Services

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her Answer of 18 January 2023 to Question 126752, on Schools: Mental Health Service, whether (a) her Department is or (b) school are recruiting any mental health specialists as part of her Department's plan to fund all schools and colleges in England to train senior mental health leads.

Claire Coutinho: ​​Overall, taking the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) allocations and the additional funding announced in the Autumn Statement 2022 together, core schools funding is increasing by £3.5 billion in 2023/24, compared to 2022/23. This takes the total core schools budget for 2023/24 to £57.3 billion.​The Autumn Statement 2022 announced that the core schools budget will increase by £2.0 billion in 2023/24 and a further £2.0 billion in 2024/25, over and above totals announced at Spending Review 2021. This brings the core schools budget to a total of £58.8 billion in 2024/25, up from £43.5 billion in 2019/20. The increases in funding mean that 2024/25 will be the highest ever level of spending on schools in real terms per pupil.​Schools will have flexibility over how they use the additional grant funding to support their pupils. It will enable school leaders to invest in the areas that we know positively impact educational attainment, including high quality teaching and targeted support to the children who need it most, as well as helping schools to manage higher costs, including, for example, higher energy bills and staff pay awards.​As part of increases to the core schools budget, pupil premium rates will increase by 5% for 2023/24, a £180 million increase from 2022/23, taking total pupil premium funding to £2.9 billion. This will support schools to improve the attainment and wider outcomes of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those with social, emotional, and mental health needs.​​The government is not directly recruiting mental health specialists for schools. Schools are best placed to decide what support to provide and which specialists to recruit to respond to the mental health needs of their pupils. Senior mental health leads will be trained to inform their school’s decision.​​Where specialists are recruited into schools to support pupil mental health, it is vital that appropriate links are made with local, specialist services such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to ensure children and young people receive the right support for their need. To strengthen the link between education settings and specialist services such as CAMHS, the department is introducing mental health support teams (MHSTs) in schools and colleges across the country. The teams include additional trained professionals who can provide support directly to pupils as well as supporting school staff.​These teams now reach 26% of pupils, a year earlier than originally planned. This will increase to 399 teams, covering around 35% of pupils, by April 2023, with over 500 planned to be up and running by 2024. Further information is available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/cyp/trailblazers/.​To expand access to specialist support, the NHS Long Term Plan commits to increasing investment in mental health services by at least £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 and aims for an additional 345,000 children and young people to be able to access NHS-funded mental health support by 2023/24.

Children: Asylum

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure unaccompanied children moved from hotels are accommodated in safe, appropriate placements.

Claire Coutinho: Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) are accommodated in hotels by the Home Office, on a temporary basis before they transfer to the care of a local authority through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS).Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that UASC, like all looked-after children, are accommodated in safe and appropriate placements in accordance with the Children Act 1989. The department’s statutory guidance for local authorities ‘Care of Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Modern Slavery (2017)’ sets out a range of factors that local authorities should consider when making placement decisions. This guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-of-unaccompanied-and-trafficked-children.The department continues to work closely with the Home Office to ensure that all UASC are provided with care by a local authority as soon as possible after their arrival.

Supply Teachers

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of employing supply teachers in maintained schools in England in each year since 2017.

Nick Gibb: Financial information on Local Authority maintained schools, including spending on supply teachers, is collected in Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) returns. It is subsequently published on the School Financial Benchmarking website and in the annual official statistic ‘LA and school expenditure’, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/la-and-school-expenditure.Spending on supply teaching staff comprises the following categories:Supply teaching staff (supply teaching staff employed directly by the school),Supply teacher insurance,Agency supply teaching staff (cost paid to an agency for teaching staff that have been brought in to cover teacher absence).These costs should be offset against receipts from supply teacher insurance claims.Local authority maintained school expenditure on supply teaching staff, £ millionsFinancial year:2016/172017/182018/192019/202020/212021/22Supply teaching staff£181.8£147.2£129.0£110.9£74.1£106.9Supply teacher insurance£136.1£126.5£115.9£108.3£103.0£99.9Agency supply teaching staff£520.4£451.2£425.8£410.7£274.6£415.0Receipts from supply teacher insurance claims£88.0£78.3£74.3£72.6£56.9£69.1Number of schools completing CFR16,10615,05213,95913,15812,65512,221Total (£millions)£750.3£646.7£596.4£557.3£394.7£552.7Source: Consistent Financial Reporting returns.Please note that the number of Local Authority maintained schools has decreased each year as a result of academisation. Local Authority maintained schools are required to provide a CFR return, whereas academies are required to return an Academies Accounts Return.

Ministry of Justice

Members: Correspondence

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department intends to reply to the correspondence from the Rt Hon. Member for East Ham dated 21 November, reference ST62469.

Mike Freer: The Ministry of Justice takes the handling of correspondence seriously and apologies for the delay in replying to Rt Hon Member for East Ham. I confirm that a response will be sent this week.

Community Orders: Litter

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made in the effectiveness of community service at removing litter in communities.

Damian Hinds: The Government is investing an additional £93m in Community Payback over the next three years, which will allow us to increase delivery of Community Payback up to 8m hours per year. There will be a particular focus on delivering more outdoor projects that improve local areas and allow the public to see justice being done.Community Payback plays a key role in clearing up communities, working in partnership with Local Authorities and the voluntary sector. For example, during the 2022 Community Payback Spring Clean week teams across England and Wales delivered over 300 visible projects, amounting to 10,000 hours of unpaid work and 2200 bags of litter collected. Community Payback will build on this success in the upcoming 2023 dedicated spring clean event. Clearing litter is a routine activity undertaken as part of Community Payback, for example we also clean up through national partnerships with organisations like the Canal & River Trust.

Community Orders

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the total number of hours of unpaid work completed at home as part of community sentences in each year since 2010.

Damian Hinds: Independent working projects enabled eligible offenders to complete some of their hours from home. They were introduced as a temporary delivery method in response to COVID-19 restrictions and enabled the Probation Service to continue delivery during periods of lockdown. Independent working projects were not in use prior to April 2020, therefore there is no relevant data between 2010 and that date. Independent working projects were deployed in a limited and targeted way to support our recovery from COVID-19 and probation regions have been required to phase out their use from September 2022.In 2020 – 2021 a total of 59,254 hours of Unpaid Work involving independent working projects were delivered across England and Wales.In 2021 – 2022 a total of 275,044 hours of Unpaid Work involving independent working projects were delivered across England and Wales.In 2022-23, for the period for which data is available, 136,356 hours of Unpaid work involving independent working projects were delivered across England and Wales.This data was sourced from the Probation Case Management System, nDelius. While reasonable efforts have been taken to ensure the accuracy of this data, the inaccuracy inherent in any large-scale administrative data source means data should not be assumed to be accurate to the last unit presented.

Ministry of Justice: Written Questions

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to respond to Question 140162 tabled on 6 February 2023 by the hon. Member for Croydon North.

Damian Hinds: The response to Question 140162 was published on Friday 17 February and can be found here: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament. I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member.

Prisoners

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were falsely imprisoned in the last five years; and how many and what proportion of those people have been held in Serco-run prisons.

Damian Hinds: This information is not held centrally.

Church Commissioners

Church of England: LGBT+ People

Elliot Colburn: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, in the context of the Church of England’s Living in Love and Faith process and the forthcoming General Synod, what assessment the Commissioners have made of the potential impact of the Church of England's exemptions from the Equality Act 2010 on LGBT+ people.

Andrew Selous: The National Church Institutions have made no such assessment. The exceptions in the Equality Act are for all religious organisations rather than for the Church of England specifically. It is unlikely that any of the exceptions will be engaged by Living in Love and Faith and therefore no assessment has been carried out.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Myanmar: Natural Gas

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his officials have held discussions with Acteon Group on providing services to the gas industry in Myanmar.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We are aware of reports that a subsidiary of Acteon Group has previously provided services to the gas industry in Myanmar. We have not discussed this with them directly but we have been clear that all businesses operating in Myanmar should conduct thorough due diligence to ensure they are not inadvertently supporting the Myanmar military. Since the military coup in Myanmar on 1st February 2021, the UK has led international efforts to reduce the military's access to revenue, arms and equipment. We have imposed fourteen rounds of sanctions on the regime, most recently on 31 January, designating companies involved in the supply of aviation fuel to the Myanmar Air Force. We will continue to consider both sanctions and non-sanctions measures to hold this brutal regime to account.

Myanmar: Joint Peace Fund

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much from the public purse his Department (a) has contributed as of 17 February 2023 and (b) plans to contribute in future to the Joint Peace Fund in support of Myanmar.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK is committed to de-escalating the current crisis in Myanmar and seeking a resolution to the country's long running conflicts. The UK is a founding donor of the Joint Peace Fund and has contributed £7.16 million to the fund since 2016. No decision on future funding has yet been made.

Myanmar: Civil Society

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of British aid to Myanmar goes directly to Myanmar civil society organisations.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Since the coup on 1 February 2021, the UK has provided over £100 million in life saving assistance, emergency healthcare and education for displaced and conflict affected people. Of the £49 million provided this year, £18 million has been channelled through Myanmar civil society organisations. We have found that local civil society partners are best placed to access hard-to-reach and conflict affected areas.

Republic of Ireland: Official Visits

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of to Question 141646, how many visits to the UK have been recorded by a (a) Head of State (b) Head of Government and (c) Foreign Minister of the Irish Republic in each of the last three years.

Leo Docherty: We do not keep a record of all visits to the UK by representatives of other Governments. However, the FCDO maintains records of State and Guest of Government visits by a Head of State, Head of Government or Foreign Minister travelling to the UK at our invitation. Details of these visits, up to and including October 2022, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/costs-relating-to-state-and-guest-of-government-visits.

Northern Ireland Protocol and Trader Support Service: Costs

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 23 November 2022 to Question 90759 on Trader Support Service, what the cost to the public purse was of (a) Trader Support Services operations and (b) other costs associated with implementing the Northern Ireland protocol, between August 2020 and February 2023.

Leo Docherty: The Government took significant steps to make the Protocol work in its current form - committing to over £500 million in support to businesses since January 2021, including; delivering an unprecedented Trader Support Service (TSS) and Movement Assistance Schemes to help traders manage these new requirements (costing £346.2 million cost of running the TSS between August 2020 and February 2023) delivering four major IT systems, including the declaration, transit, safety and security and goods movement systems. The Movement Assistance Scheme, in place until December 2023, has already provided more than £10 million of support to businesses, covering the cost of more than 60,000 certificates and almost 3,000 inspection hours. The Government has pledged a further £150 million for a Digital Assistance Scheme to provide an end-to-end digital solution for agrifood certification.

Haiti: Jamaica

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to raise discussions on the Jamaican offer of military and policing assistance for Haiti at the UN.

David Rutley: We note and welcome the reporting of comments made by Jamaican PM Holness on 31 January, that he would be willing to contribute to the Haitian Government's request to the UN Secretary General for a multinational security assistance deployment to Haiti to support a return to a reasonable level of stability and peace. Developments in Haiti are under constant review and UK officials remain involved in discussions - including at the UN - over how the international community can best help Haiti to resolve its complex challenges.

Iran: Uranium

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of reports that Iran has increased production of high enriched uranium at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.

David Rutley: In November 2022 Iran announced it would take further steps to expand its nuclear programme, including increasing its production of High Enriched Uranium at its underground facility at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. This further advances its programme, carrying significant proliferation-related risks and has no credible civilian justification.Iran's continued escalation of its nuclear activities threatens international peace and security and undermines the global non-proliferation system. Iran's actions over the past months have made progress towards a diplomatic solution much more difficult. We remain determined that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon and are considering next steps with our international partners.

Syria and Turkey: Earthquakes

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Turkish counterpart on ensuring that emergency aid for victims of the recent earthquakes is able to (a) pass safely through national borders and (b) reach predominately ethnic and religious minority areas.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Prime Minister spoke to President Erdogan on 7 February, noting the humanitarian situation over the border in North-West Syria, where Turkey plays an important coordinating role. The UK is one of the top donors to the Syria Cross-border Humanitarian Fund and welcomes the UN-brokered agreement to open additional border crossings into North-West Syria for an initial period of three months.The UK has sent thousands of life-saving items to Turkey and Syria, including tents and thermal blankets and is working in coordination with Turkish authorities, United Nations and NGO partners to ensure aid reaches those who are most in need.

Syria and Turkey: Earthquakes

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of whether the Kurdish Red Crescent is able to operate freely following the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is working to ensure that aid reaches those who are most in need as quickly and efficiently as possible. We have not made an assessment of the operations of the Kurdish Red Crescent which is not currently recognised by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The UK is providing life-saving support to those in Turkey and Syria, including tents, blankets and medical equipment. In Turkey, we are supporting the Turkish Red Crescent, which has mobilised teams in over 10 affected regions. In Syria, we are primarily working through UN efforts, including via the Syria Cross Border Fund and international NGOs to make sure aid reaches those in need. Additionally, we have provided significant support to the White Helmets to support their search and rescue operations in north west Syria.

Turkey: Earthquakes

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Turkish counterpart on ensuring that (a) Kurdish, (b) Alevi and (c) other minority communities receive equal access to emergency support in Turkey.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We are closely monitoring events in Turkey and we are working in close coordination with the Turkish authorities, the United Nations and NGO partners to ensure that aid makes it to those who are most in need, including vulnerable and minority communities in Turkey and Syria.

Syria and Turkey: Earthquakes

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will provide special dispensation to extend the 30 day overseas window for Syrian and Turkish Chevening Scholars who have returned home to be with family and support relief efforts following the earthquakes on 6 February 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Following the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the Chevening Secretariat contacted all impacted scholars to check on them at what we know is a very difficult time. We offered to support scholars to travel home where there was a compassionate case to do so, for example where they were needed to support close family members.We have extended the time that these scholars are permitted to spend overseas from 30 to 44 days in line with our compassionate leave policy, and we will consider the case for award interruptions or extensions where scholars are unable to continue their scholarship because of the impact of the earthquake.

Syria and Turkey: Earthquakes

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of whether aid intended for earthquake victims is able to pass into (a) Turkey and (b) Kurdish areas without any bureaucratic obstacles.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We have been working closely with the Turkish authorities to facilitate the rapid delivery of aid to earthquake affected areas. In Syria, we continue to engage with the UN, International and NGO partners to ensure that aid reaches those who are most in need of humanitarian assistance as quickly as possible, including to marginalised communities and to areas which are hard to reach. The UK welcomes the UN-brokered agreement to open additional border crossings into northwest Syria for an initial period of three months. To date the UK has delivered over 330 tonnes of aid to earthquake hit Turkey and Syria.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2023 to Question 118820 on Armed Forces: Housing, when he plans to write to the Rt hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne on the number of (a) service family accommodation and (b) single living accommodation homes that have had issues reported with (i) heating and (ii) hot water since April 2022.

Alex Chalk: Shortly.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2022 to Question 67846 on Amey, how many service family accommodation properties have open work orders for repairs as of 20 February 2023.

Alex Chalk: As of 31 January 2023 (the most recent date for which data is available) 10,390 out of a total of 47,894 Service Family Accomodation properties in the UK had open work orders for repairs. Typically, around 20,000 work orders are raised per month.

Pinnacle Service Families

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2023 to Question 113205 on Armed Forces: Housing, whether his department has withheld any payments from Pinnacle due to their contractual performance under the National Accommodation Management Services contract.

Alex Chalk: The contractual rights to withhold payments are being exercised and deductions will be made as appropriate. Pinnacle are affected, as are Amey and VIVO, reflecting their respective roles in delivering services under the Regional Accommodation Management Services contracts. The amounts are under review.

Ukraine: Defence Equipment

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the value of the military equipment provided to Ukraine since the Russian invasion of Ukraine is.

James Heappey: Due to the ongoing nature of the conflict and for reasons of operational security, it would be inappropriate to release a breakdown of the value of military equipment provided to Ukraine at this stage.

Typhoon Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Tranche 1 Typhoons remain in service.

James Heappey: There are 30 Typhoon Tranche 1 aircraft in RAF service.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2023 to Question 113168 on Armed Forces: Housing, when he plans to publish key performance indicator data for accommodation contracts relating to service family accommodation for Q3.

Alex Chalk: A summary of data covering performance under the current accommodation contracts covering the period between October - December 2022, will be proactively published as part of a much larger set of reports through the Cabinet Office's Gold KPI process for publishing performance metrics on all major Government projects. Publication is provisionally expected on 27 April 2023 subject to confirmation by the Cabinet Office nearer the time.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2023 to Question 114530 on Armed Forces: Housing, how many compensation payments have been made for issues relating to Service Family Accommodation in each month since 1 April 2022; and what was the total value of these payments in each month.

Alex Chalk: The number of compensation payments for issues relating to Service Family Accommodation in each month since 1 April 2022, and their total value can be found in the table below:MonthNumberValueApril00May735£22,620June1026£30,780July1109£101,990August616£29,247September809£32,850October369£26,950November242£24,184December1319£87,435January1703£186,031 April 2022 was the first month that the Future Defence Infrastructure Services Accommodation contracts were fully operational; any claims made in April 2022 would have resulted in payments being issued in later months. This figure cannot be differentiated. February 2023 data is not yet available. Compensation payments are administered and funded by the suppliers at no cost to the Ministry of Defence.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many compensation payments for (a) missed appointments, (b) failed move in, (c) hotel stay sustenance, (d) incorrect tradesperson, (e) total loss of heating and (f) total loss of cooking facilities have been made to Forces families by Pinnacle Group under the National Accommodation Management Services contract, in each month since April 2022.

Alex Chalk: I refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 10 January 2022 to his Question 114531.Armed Forces: Housing (docx, 18.1KB)

Typhoon Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with industries within the Eurofighter Typhoon supply chain in the last month.

Alex Chalk: The Ministry of Defence continues to work closely with our industry partners and our Partner Nations in NETMA to ensure a resilient supply chain for Typhoon. In the last month such work was conducted at an official level. Next month, in Milan, Ministers of all Partner Nations will meet to hold routine business discussions regarding Typhoon, and will be briefed on future capability developments.

HMS Dreadnought

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when HMS Dreadnought will be commissioned.

Alex Chalk: The commissioning date for HMS Dreadnought is yet to be determined. The programme remains on track for First of Class, HMS Dreadnought, to enter service in the early 2030s.

Ajax Vehicles: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the budgeted milestone payments for the AJAX Armoured Fighting Vehicle contract were achieved in the last two years.

Alex Chalk: While details of the contract are commercially sensitive, milestone achievements and future payments remain under review as the programme continues its positive trajectory and we work to agree a new timetable for Ajax's introduction into service. Under the firm price contract no payments have been made since December 2020.

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Written Questions

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish the methodology used by his Department to determine whether information requested through parliamentary written questions can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Mims Davies: There is no formal methodology – each Written Parliamentary Question is judged on its own merits, including whether a response can reasonably be provided within the cost limit. The department follows the guidance produced by the Cabinet Office in the following documents: Guide to Parliamentary Work2022-10-11 - Guide to Parliamentary Work (publishing.service.gov.uk) Guidance on drafting answers to Parliamentary Questions:drafting-pq-responses.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Universal Credit: EU Nationals

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Upper Tribunal’s judgment in Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v AT (Aire Centre and IMA intervening) UC: [2022] UKUT 330 (AAC),  how many cases of EU citizens and their families with pre-settled status applying for Universal Credit had been stayed behind that lead case.

Guy Opperman: Following the Upper Tribunal’s judgment in Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v AT (Aire Centre and IMA intervening) UC: [2022] UKUT 330 (AAC), DWP appealed to the Court of Appeal. This application has been granted and the appeal has been listed for March. Under Section 25 of the Social Security Act 1998, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has the power to stay decision making when an appeal is pending in a lead test case. DWP decision makers are currently reviewing cases to determine which cases are in scope of the judgment and which cases should be stayed. Cases where a right to reside has been identified for those with pre-settled status will not be stayed, and in such cases, the grant of UC should follow in the usual way subject to the usual eligibility criteria. DWP decision makers will consider hardship when considering whether to stay individual cases in line with guidance. This application has been granted and the appeal has been listed for March.

Universal Credit

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2023 to Question 136717 on Universal Credit, what information his Department holds on Universal Credit claimants undertaking training and education that counts towards their work-related requirements.

Guy Opperman: This information is not centrally gathered and as such the data is not held. Work coaches discuss appropriate work related activity including training and education with claimants.

Universal Credit: Disqualification

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Universal Credit claimants impacted by the rise in the Administrative Earnings Threshold from 26 September 2022 have been sanctioned due to not meeting the requirements associated with being in the Intensive Work Search Group, as of 17 February 2023.

Guy Opperman: This data will not be available for some time.

Personal Independence Payment: Vaccination

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people cited vaccine harm as a factor in their claim for a Personal Independence Payment in each year since 2018.

Tom Pursglove: This information is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is based on the needs arising from a long-term health condition or disability and causation is not asked for, or recorded centrally, where provided.

Access to Work Programme

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many advisers are employed by his Department to process and support Access to Work applications.

Tom Pursglove: The total number of colleagues employed by the department to process and support Access to Work applications is 451. A further 50 colleagues have been recruited and will join the team in March and April 2023.

Pensioners: Christmas Bonus

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of ending the annual £10 Christmas bonus to pensioners and allocating the money saved elsewhere in order to alleviate current budgetary pressures.

Laura Trott: The Christmas Bonus is an annual, tax-free lump sum payment to pensioners and to working age people who are in receipt of certain qualifying benefits during the relevant week which is usually the first full week in December. The Government remains committed to providing support to pensioners and others who receive the payments and has no current plans to revise the arrangements.

Pensions: Telephone Services

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time was that callers were on hold before they are connected to the Future Pension Centre in (a) 2023 (b) 2022 and (c) 2021; what percentage of callers abandoned the call in (a) 2023 (b) 2022 and (c) 2021; and if he will make a statement.

Laura Trott: The average time callers to the Future Pension Service Telephony Platform were on hold (rounded to the nearest minute) was as follows. We do not have figures for the full year 2023 at this time 2021: 13 Minutes2022: 10 Minutes The percentage of callers to the Future Pension Service Telephony Platform who abandoned their call was as follows: 2021: 28%2022: 21% Please note this information is derived from the Department’s management information designed solely for the purpose of helping the Department to manage its business. As such, it has not been subjected to the rigorous quality assurance checks applied to our published official statistics. As the Department holds the information internally, we have released it. However, it is possible information held by Department may change due to operational reasons and we recommend that caution be applied when using it.

Carers: Cost of Living

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department plans to take to support carers, in the context of the rising cost of living.

Tom Pursglove: The Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by carers every day in providing significant care and continuity of support to family and friends, including pensioners and those with disabilities. Depending on personal circumstances, carers may be eligible for means-tested benefits, including Universal Credit and Pension Credit. Means-tested benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the Carer Element and the additional amount for carers respectively. Nearly 60% of carers on low incomes who are of working age and on Carer’s Allowance, also claim a means-tested benefit through which they may be entitled to receive a Cost of Living Payment. We would encourage anyone who is providing unpaid care, and who is not already in receipt of a means-tested benefit, to check on GOV.UK to confirm whether there are other benefits they may be entitled to. Advice can also be sought from organisations such as Carers UK and Citizen’s Advice. Means tested benefits can provide extra weekly income and trigger extra support with the cost of living. The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living this winter and is taking action to help. The Government's Energy Price Guarantee will save a typical British household around £900 this winter, based on what energy prices would have been under the current price cap - reducing bills by roughly a third. This is in addition to the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, paid over six months starting in October 2022.For those who require additional support, the current Household Support Fund, running in England from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023, is providing £421 million of funding. The devolved administrations have been allocated £79 million through the Barnett formula.  The Household Support Fund will continue until March 2024. This year long extension allows Local authorities in England to continue to provide discretionary support to those most in need with the significantly rising cost of living. The devolved administrations will receive consequential funding as usual to spend at their discretion.In 2023/24, subject to parliamentary approval, we are uprating all benefit rates and State Pensions by 10.1%. In order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions, the benefit cap levels are also increasing by the same amount.In addition, for 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to £900 in Cost of Living Payments. This will be split into three payments of around £300 each across the 2023/24 financial year. A separate £300 payment will be made to pensioner households on top of their Winter Fuel Payments and individuals in receipt of eligible disability benefits will receive a £150 payment. Further to this, the Energy Price Guarantee will be extended from April 2023 until the end of March 2024. Over this period the Energy Price Guarantee will bring a typical household bill to around £3,000 per year in Great Britain.

Personal Independence Payment: Dementia

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of personal independence payment reassessments on the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of dementia patients.

Tom Pursglove: Entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability, rather than the health condition or disability itself. Award rates and their durations are set on an individual basis, based on the claimant’s needs and the likelihood of those needs changing. Award reviews allow for the correct rate of PIP to remain in payment, including where needs have increased as a consequence of a congenital, degenerative, or progressive condition. We recognise that attending a PIP assessment can be a stressful experience, which is why we do not carry out face-to-face assessments where there is enough existing evidence to determine benefit entitlement, whether on a new claim or on review. Where there is sufficient evidence on which to make an assessment, the claimant will be assessed on a paper basis. Where a telephone, video, or face-to-face assessment is required, companions are encouraged to attend and can play an active role, which can be particularly helpful for claimants with mental, cognitive, or intellectual impairments who may not be able to provide an accurate account of their condition due to a lack of understanding or unrealistic expectations of their ability. We announced in the Shaping Future Support: Health and Disability Green Paper, that we will test a new Severe Disability Group (SDG) so that those with severe and lifelong conditions can benefit from a simplified process to access PIP, ESA and UC without needing to go through a face-to-face assessment, or frequent reassessments. We will consider the test results once complete to influence thinking on the next stages of this work.

Cystic Fibrosis: Finance

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial support is available for people suffering from cystic fibrosis.

Tom Pursglove: A range of benefits are available to provide support for those with health conditions and disabilities, including Cystic Fibrosis, that impact a person's ability to undertake daily activities or impact their functional capability for work. People on low, or no, income or earnings, who have a health condition or disability which restricts the amount of work they can do or prevents them from working altogether, and where they meet the entitlement criteria, can claim UC and/or NS ESA with a valid fit note from a clinician. Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, and Disability Living Allowance for Children, are not means-tested and provide financial support arising from the extra costs of having a health condition or disability. The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living this winter and is taking action to help. The Government's Energy Price Guarantee will save a typical British household around £900 this winter, based on what energy prices would have been under the current price cap - reducing bills by roughly a third. This is in addition to the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, paid over six months starting in October 2022. In addition, for 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to £900 in Cost of Living Payments, subject to parliamentary approval. This will be split into three payments of around £300 each across the 2023/24 financial year. A separate £300 payment will be made to pensioner households, on top of their Winter Fuel Payments, and individuals in receipt of eligible disability benefits will receive a £150 payment. Further to this, the Energy Price Guarantee will be extended from April 2023 until the end of March 2024. Over this period the Energy Price Guarantee will bring a typical household bill to around £3,000 per year in Great Britain.

Universal Credit: Overpayments

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the value is of overpayments within Universal Credit attributed to Official Error recovered In each of the last three years.

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many cases where the claimant had previously been advised no overpayment had occurred a Universal Credit overpayment attributed to Official Error has been identified in each of the last three years.

Tom Pursglove: We do not hold data on actual Universal Credit (UC) overpayments as requested, as there is no requirement to categorise UC debt (in this way) because it is all recoverable in law. However, our national statistics on fraud and error in the benefit system provide information on the estimated value of UC Official Error, both as a percentage of benefit expenditure and by value. For UC, the figures show that UC Official Error loss has fallen from 1.3% (£700m) in 2019/20, to 0.9% (£800m) in 2020/21, to 0.7% (£700m) in 2021/22. The statistics do not cover the number of overpayments made, but do indicate how many cases were estimated to have an overpayment of this type. In 2019/20 the figure stood at 4.1%; in 2021/22 it was 2.6%. Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2021 to 2022 estimates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) The DWP remains committed to working with anyone who is struggling with benefit debt deductions and encourages customers experiencing hardship to contact the DWP to discuss their repayment plan.

Employment Schemes

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many individuals (a) were referred to, (b) participated in and (c) had a job outcome from the Job Entry Targeted Support programme in each month since its launch.

Guy Opperman: Referrals to Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) began in October 2020 for England and Wales, and in January 2021 for Scotland. Individuals can be referred to JETS more than once. The total number of referrals, starts, and job outcomes by month is provided below, job outcomes include both employed and self-employed job outcomes: JETS England & WalesReferralsStartsJob OutcomesOctober 2020 19,2406,055-November 202027,80014,665175December 202020,99512,8301,060January 202129,68514,7251,585February 202126,30017,3801,795March 202124,42516,5502,915April 202122,21012,6055,120May 202131,02017,9355,170June 202135,26020,4406,705July 202131,58018,9508,695August 202122,00016,0208,590September 202118,02513,6406,960October 202113,4209,7759,335November 202114,77010,2207,560December 202112,1108,4357,335January 202216,40010,5405,225February 202215,43511,5354,195March 202220,88513,8754,935April 202216,54511,3204,845May 202219,83013,2455,705June 202217,53011,5054,810July 202217,08011,0055,285August 202215,40510,8954,505September 202215,3008,8454,540October 2022-3,1255,460November 2022--4,745December 2022--3,880  JETS ScotlandReferralsStartsJob OutcomesJanuary 20211,75535-February 20212,7701,995-March 20211,7651,13040April 20211,140645115May 20211,8001,035180June 20212,1851,200320July 20211,9001,200420August 20212,3501,260465September 20212,3301,540415October 20212,0051,285645November 20211,9851,135575December 20211,3001,100600January 20221,720800440February 20221,8301,205320March 20221,5151,375420April 20221,115865455May 20221,5801,115555June 20221,2851,005470July 20221,425915510August 20221,3501,060365September 20221,310810365October 2022-355415November 2022--355December 2022--270  Please note: The data recorded in the Job Entry Targeted Support scheme dataset does not meet the standards required to be included in the Official Statistics. Please treat all values as guide figures rather than actual figures.  Figures are rounded to the nearest 5. Employment outcomes for JETS are defined as when a participant achieves the earnings threshold of £1000, identified through HMRC Real Time Earnings data, and can be achieved at any point within the 299-day period that they are on provision. JETS provision supports participants for up to 10 months so it can take some time before an outcome is achieved, therefore most outcomes are for participants who started on the scheme from earlier months. The last referrals were in September 2022, so outcomes will continue until summer 2023. Self-employed outcomes are achieved when participants have been trading for 182 days and providers have sufficient evidence to confirm that the outcome is valid. More information on how outcomes are calculated can be found on the Gov.UK website under Work and Health Programme including JETS provider guidance - Chapter 13.

Universal Credit

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Universal Credit claimants affected by the rise in the Administrative Earnings Threshold have increased their earnings above the threshold since 26 September 2022.

Guy Opperman: Data on the impact of the AET change on claimant earnings will not be available for some time. This is due to the time it takes for the policy to have an effect on claimant earnings, and the time it will take to conduct a robust analysis of that data. We will be monitoring the data over time as part of the evaluation of the impact of the change in regulations, and to evaluate how best to support people to increase their earnings.

Universal Credit: Overpayments

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many overpayments of Universal Credit have been attributed to Official Error in each of the last three years; and what the total value of those overpayments.

Tom Pursglove: We do not hold data on actual Universal Credit (UC) overpayments as requested, as there is no requirement to categorise UC debt, because it is all recoverable in law. However, our national statistics on fraud and error in the benefit system provide information on the estimated value of UC Official Error, both as a percentage of benefit expenditure and by value. For UC, the figures show that UC Official Error loss has fallen from 1.3% (£700m) in 2019/20, to 0.9% (£800m) in 2020/21, to 0.7% (£700m) in 2021/22. The statistics do not cover the number of overpayments made, but do indicate how many cases were estimated to have an overpayment of this type. In 2019/20 the figure stood at 4.1%; in 2021/22 it was 2.6%. Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2021 to 2022 estimates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) The DWP remains committed to working with anyone who is struggling with benefit debt deductions and encourages customers experiencing hardship to contact the DWP to discuss their repayment plan.

Viral Diseases: Disease Control

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of Health and Safety Executive guidance on the transmission of blood borne viruses on people living with HIV.

Mims Davies: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the regulator of workplace health and safety and publishes guidance aimed to assist employers in controlling workplace risks, including those from blood-borne viruses where this is relevant to their work activities. HSE’s approach to developing guidance is led by intelligence to ensure it remains appropriate. Should evidence emerge that suggests changes to workplace risks, HSE will consider an appropriate response which may include a review of existing guidance.

Offshore Industry: Health and Safety

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2023 to Question 139284 on Offshore Industry: Missing People, whether he plans to (a) extend the definition of energy structures or (b) legislate to provide for seafarers operating in the offshore wind sector outside territorial waters but within the UK exclusive economic zone.

Mims Davies: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is not aware of any plans to (a) extend the definition of energy structures contained in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application outside Great Britain) Order 2013 or (b) provide any additional legislation relating to seafarers operating in the offshore wind sector within the UK exclusive economic zone. The 2013 Order only applies the provisions of the 1974 Act to those offshore wind farms that are located in either the territorial sea or within a renewable energy zone as provided by Section 84(4) of the Energy Act 2004.

TotalEnergies: Health and Safety

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with TotalEnergies E&P UK Limited on what further steps that company has taken with the (a) Alwyn North, (b) Dunbar, (c) Gryphon Alpha FPSO, (d) Elgin Franklin, (e) Culzean and (f) Ailsa FSO assets to comply with their obligations under section 5(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 concerning the time taken to action unmanaged Safety and Environment Critical Element maintenance and inspection work.

Mims Davies: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) wrote to TotalEnergies E&P UK Limited (Total) on 13 December 2022 following a number of inspections and requests for information relating to maintenance backlogs. HSE required Total to take steps to avoid the increased risk from unmanaged Safety and Environment Critical Element (SECE) maintenance and inspection backlog. Total responded on 20 January 2023 with a breakdown of their unmanaged SECE maintenance and inspection work, and their performance targets for 2023. HSE has held meetings with Total to discuss the improvements that Total are going to make in the short and medium term. Total has created a Steering Committee to oversee the progress of their planned initiatives as well as working to ensure they are sufficiently resourced to carry out the planned work.

Health and Safety Executive: Wind Power

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Health and Safety Executive are responsible for offshore windfarm operations in international waters.

Mims Davies: Health and safety standards for workers employed on offshore windfarms on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) are regulated in Great Britain by the Health and Safety Executive.The Energy Act 2004 vests rights to The Crown Estate to license the generation of renewable energy on the UKCS within the Renewable Energy Zone out to 200 nautical miles. In Scotland, Crown Estate Scotland is the body which leases seabed, whilst Marine Scotland oversees licensing.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

River Severn: Flood Control

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans her Department will complete the review of funding to prevent flooding by the River Severn.

Rebecca Pow: In the previous 6 year programme (2015 – 2021) the River Severn Catchment had over £50 million invested, reducing flood risk and improving community resilience to more than 3,000 homes. The estimate for the current 6 year programme (2021 – 2027) is that over £150 million will be invested, reducing flood risk and better protecting a further 3,000 homes and businesses across the River Severn Catchment. In October 2022 Defra, the Environment Agency and partners from the River Severn Partnership (RSP) met with the Treasury to discuss the RSP’s holistic approach to mitigating flood risk across the Severn catchment. The investment Defra has made, and continues to make, is having positive, long-term benefits for many communities through reducing flood risk and improving community resilience. Through the work of the English Severn & Wye Regional Flood & Coastal Committee (RFCC) and strategic partnerships, such as the RSP, a long-term holistic approach to deliver sustainable water management solutions is being progressed. These will bring flood risk management protection benefits while at the same time looking to provide sustainable growth and support environmental improvements.

Air Quality Grant Scheme

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to increase the air quality grant for local authorities in the next Budget.

Rebecca Pow: Defra remains committed to providing support for local authorities to tackle air pollution through the air quality grant. Since 2018 we have awarded over £35 million to a range of projects. This includes £10.7 million in funding awarded to 44 local authorities this year that will benefit schools, businesses and communities, and reduce the impact of polluted air on people’s health. The value of funding committed to the grant is reviewed annually. The budget available for the next round of funding will be announced in summer 2023.

Air Quality Grant Scheme: West Midlands

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's Air Quality Grant on the West Midlands.

Rebecca Pow: Through the Air Quality Grant, DEFRA has awarded West Midlands Combined Authority over £2 million since 2018. Funding has been used for a wide range of air quality projects including over £900k awarded this year for a targeted behaviour change and monitoring campaign to tackle fine particulate matter, the pollutant known to be the most harmful to health.

Air Pollution: Pollution Control

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish a revised Air Quality Strategy.

Rebecca Pow: The Department has not made an assessment of the impact of unregulated canine fertility clinics on animal welfare.

Air Quality Grant Scheme

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will hold discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on increasing the air quality grant for local authorities in the spring budget.

Rebecca Pow: Defra remains committed to providing support for local authorities to tackle air pollution through the air quality grant. Since 2018 we have awarded over £35 million to a range of projects. This includes £10.7 million in funding awarded to 44 local authorities this year that will benefit schools, businesses and communities, and reduce the impact of polluted air on people’s health. The value of funding committed to the grant is reviewed annually. The budget available for the next round of funding will be announced in summer 2023.

Air Pollution: Pollution Control

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish a revised Air Quality Strategy.

Rebecca Pow: The department plans to publish a revised National Air Quality Strategy later this year.

Air Quality Grant Scheme

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to increase the air quality grant for local authorities in the forthcoming Spring budget.

Rebecca Pow: Defra remains committed to providing support for local authorities to tackle air pollution through the air quality grant. Since 2018 we have awarded over £35 million to a range of projects. This includes £10.7 million in funding awarded to 44 local authorities this year that will benefit schools, businesses and communities, and reduce the impact of polluted air on people’s health. The value of funding committed to the grant is reviewed annually. The budget available for the next round of funding will be announced in summer 2023.

Fish Farming: Animal Welfare

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to take steps to amend legislation on the welfare of farmed fish.

Mark Spencer: The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any protected animal, or to fail to provide for the welfare needs of an animal, including fish, for which that person is responsible. As part of the Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, we are currently considering a number of improvements that could be made to the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing. To inform this work, we have asked the Animal Welfare Committee to update its 2014 Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing.

Shellfish: Animal Welfare

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of banning the sale and distribution of live crabs and lobsters by online retailers.

Mark Spencer: We are considering carefully the implications of recognising in law the sentience of decapod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs. The Government currently has no plans to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a ban on the sale of live crabs and lobsters online.

Foie Gras and Furs: Imports

Wendy Morton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the impact of existing legislation on the import of (a) foie gras and (b) real fur on animal welfare.

Mark Spencer: The Action Plan for Animal Welfare outlined our intention to explore potential action on the import of animal fur. We have since conducted a Call for Evidence on the fur sector along with other forms of engagement with interested parties. We are continuing to build our evidence base on the fur sector. We are also committed to building a clear evidence base to inform any potential future decisions relating to foie gras imports.

Food Supply

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the next UK Food Security Report.

Mark Spencer: Recognising the importance of food security, in the Agriculture Act 2020 the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security and will do so every three years. The next United Kingdom Food Security Report will be published by December 2024.

Dogs: Animal Breeding

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of unregulated canine fertility clinics on animal welfare.

Rebecca Pow: The Department has not made an assessment of the impact of unregulated canine fertility clinics on animal welfare.

Dogs: Animal Breeding

Giles Watling: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 for preventing dog breeding which results in puppies with extreme conformation.

Giles Watling: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a code of practice to the regulate the breeding of dogs.

Rebecca Pow: All dog breeders are obliged under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act) to protect their animals from suffering and provide for their welfare needs in line with best practice. A breach of these provisions may lead to imprisonment, a fine, or both. The 2006 Act is backed up by a Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs: Code of practice for the welfare of dogs (publishing.service.gov.uk). This code of practice provides owners with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their dogs, as required by the 2006 Act. The code of practice recommends owners seek the advice of a veterinary professional on the risks of inherited and exaggerated features, that could affect the welfare of the puppies, before allowing their dog to breed. Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, commercial dog breeders in England are prohibited from breeding from a dog where it can be reasonably expected that its genotype, phenotype, or state of health could have a detrimental effect on its health or welfare or the health or welfare of its offspring. More detailed advice for those wishing to breed from their dogs can be found in the Canine & Feline Sector Group’s Code of Practice for Dog Breeding which is available here: Code of Practice for Dog Breeding 2020.indd (cfsg.org.uk)

Fly-tipping: Rural Areas

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Home Secretary on the potential merits of introducing a national rural crime unit to tackle fly-tipping in rural areas.

Rebecca Pow: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential. I do however appreciate the difficulty and cost that fly-tipping poses, especially to landowners, and we are working with a wide range of interested parties through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG), such as the National Farmers Union, National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and local authorities to promote and disseminate good practice, including how to prevent fly-tipping on private land.  We recognise the support of the police on this issue by welcoming the focus on fly-tipping in the NPCC’s Rural Crime Strategy 2022-2025. We are also working with the NFTPG to develop a fly-tipping toolkit which will share best practice on a range of issues related to tackling fly-tipping. Work is currently underway on the next part of the toolkit which will cover how local authorities can set up and run effective partnerships to tackle fly-tipping. We hope to complete this in the spring.

Horticulture

Ben Everitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of seasonality in the plant and tree growing industry on (a) testing and (b) assuring the quality of peat-free growing media.

Trudy Harrison: Government recognises that some sectors within the horticulture industry are encountering challenges in transitioning to peat-free growing media. We have consulted and collected evidence to improve our understanding of these challenges, including seasonality, asking for views about potential exemptions to support the transition. That is why we intend to provide time limited exemptions for those parts of the sector for whom the transition is particularly difficult. Government also recognises that the quality of peat free growing mixes can be variable. We are in discussions with industry representatives to explore opportunities for developing a minimum standard that will support the industry in making informed buying choices. The prospect of regulation will provide the certainty to the industry to continue this work and realise the associated market opportunities.

Flood Control: Tadcaster

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects construction work to commence on the Flood Alleviation Scheme for Tadcaster.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Agency has accelerated work on the Tadcaster Flood alleviation scheme following flooding in 2020. This includes completion of small scale work to existing flood defences and accelerating modelling, feasibility and design, alongside ongoing community engagement. Further formal public engagement will take place in March 2023. This will influence the Outline Business Case which is scheduled for submission in April 2023. The application for planning permission and detailed design will follow and construction is still scheduled to commence in early 2024.

Fly-tipping and Litter

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support local authorities to tackle (a) fly tipping and (b) littering on high streets.

Rebecca Pow: The Government has set out its plans to support high streets in its 2021 Build Back Better High Streets Strategy, which includes a chapter on creating safer and cleaner spaces. Since publication, we have provided funding of over £450,000 to help several councils purchase equipment that will help them tackle fly-tipping at known hot-spots, such as CCTV. A second round of grants will see a further £800,000 awarded later this year. We have also announced our plans for a Deposit Return Scheme, which we estimate will result in 85% fewer drinks containers being discarded as litter. Through Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging, we have committed to requiring producers of packaging that often ends up in street bins to pay for the cost of managing this waste, shifting the burden away from councils. We will bring forward further measures in due course to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Water Supply

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that the water needs of data centres do not adversely impact the water supply to existing or future homes.

Rebecca Pow: The Government recognises the need to improve the resilience of our water supplies and is committed to a twin track approach. This involves investing in new water supply infrastructure and action to reduce water company leaks and improve water efficiency. It is a duty on water companies to maintain, improve and extend their water supply networks, to account of future water needs, such as those for data centres. Water companies are currently consulting on their draft statutory water resources management plans, which set out how they will continue to fulfil their supply duties and provide secure water supplies in the long term.

Air Pollution: Greater London

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to help reduce levels of PM2.5 particulate pollution in London; and whether she plans to introduce new targets to lower air pollution.

Rebecca Pow: The Mayor of London has devolved responsibility for air quality, including PM2.5. We have already introduced stretching targets to improve air quality nationally. Our dual-target approach will drive public health benefits by tackling the highest concentrations, while ensuring all areas benefit from continuous improvement.

Packaging: Recycling

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2023 to Question 136754 on Packaging: Recycling, what (a) aims and (b) objectives she has for the extended producer responsibility scheme in 2033; and what steps she is taking to achieve those aims and objectives.

Rebecca Pow: The overall aims of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging are to reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging that is produced, and to increase the proportion of this packaging that is recycled or reused. Our analysis estimates that, with the introduction of EPR in 2024 and a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers in 2025, overall recycling rates will increase from 63.2% in 2021 to 76% by 2033. This is an important step towards meeting our 25 Year Environment Plan commitment to eliminate avoidable waste by 2050. These measures will also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2.2 million tonnes by 2033 as the creation of new packaging using virgin materials is reduced. This will contribute to climate change mitigation, in line with our commitment to decarbonise all sectors of the UK economy and achieve net zero by 2050. This will be achieved by making producers pay for the waste management costs associated with the packaging that they place on the market. The EPR fees that producers will pay will also be varied (modulated) based on the type of packaging produced, with less easily recyclable packaging incurring a higher cost. This will place a strong financial incentive on producers to reduce the overall amount of packaging they use, and to design and use packaging that is easily reusable or recyclable.

Packaging: Recycling

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2023 to Question 136754 on Packaging: Recycling, what steps her Department plans to take in adjusting the regulatory framework to deliver her Department's vision for what the EPR scheme in 10 years’ time.

Rebecca Pow: Defra’s intention is that the regulations to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging will be introduced at the end of 2023. These regulations will reflect the policy set out in the Government response to the 2021 consultation, which was published in March 2022. In parallel with drafting these regulations, the department is continuing to work with stakeholders to develop a future vision for our waste reforms programme over the longer term. As part of this work, we have recently embarked on an eight-week series of industry-wide Sprint events bringing together key stakeholders to obtain their input. Outputs from this process will need due consideration and may include subsequent amendments to the regulatory framework.

Plastics: Packaging

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2023 to Question 136755 on Plastics: Landfill, what assessment she has made of the steps that will need to be taken by producers to meet forthcoming extended producer responsibility for packaging requirements to reduce plastic waste going to (a) landfill and (b) incinerators.

Rebecca Pow: Producers will need to start reporting data on the packaging they place on the market from October 2023. We have published guidance and an obligation checker to help packaging producers to prepare for Extended Producer Responsibility on the gov.uk website, including outlining what data producers will need to start collecting and reporting. This guidance will be continually updated with more detailed information. The payments that producers will be required to pay to local authorities will be determined from April 2024. These payments will cover the costs for improved management of household packaging when it becomes waste, and provide for the collection of additional packaging materials for recycling such as plastic films and flexible packaging. This, together with higher recycling targets for packaging waste, will result in less packaging waste being sent to landfill and incinerators.

Sewage: Waste Disposal

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the reporting of storm overflows in real time will be (a) consistent, (b) transparent, (c) accessible and (d) readily understood by the public.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Act places new monitoring duties on the water industry to significantly improve transparency. It requires companies to make discharge data available in near real time to the public and to monitor water quality upstream and downstream of their assets.

Packaging: Recycling

Nigel Mills: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February to Question 135355 on Packaging Recycling, which specific international schemes her Department considered in developing their EPR proposal for the UK; and how those schemes are reflected in current EPR policy.

Rebecca Pow: As part of the development of our proposals for introducing EPR in the UK, we looked at many of the EPR schemes operating across the EU, with a particular focus on the systems in Belgium, France and Germany. This experience was reflected in many of the proposals put forward in our 2021 consultation and 2022 Government response, including scheme governance, the payment mechanism for local authorities, producer contributions to costs of public communications campaigns on recycling, and our decision to move to a single point of producer compliance.

Flood Control: Shrewsbury and Atcham

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2023 to Question 127717 on Flood Control: Shrewsbury, how much of the Government's £5.2 billion investment has been received by Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Agency’s 2021-27 Flood and Coastal Risk Management Programme is investing in the region of £43 million in the county of Shropshire. Of that figure, £20 million is being directly invested in both the Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency and the wider surrounding areas, which will provide not only flood risk benefits for those communities, but also other environmental benefits such as carbon capturing and biodiversity net gain.

Packaging: Recycling

Nigel Mills: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2022 to Question 135354 on Packaging Recycling, what changes were made by the Cabinet to her Department’s initial proposals for EPR in the consultation while the publication of the Government’s response was subject to Cabinet approval.

Rebecca Pow: The Government response to the 2021 consultation on the introduction of EPR was approved by the Domestic and Economic Implementation Committee. While the publication of the response was conditional upon several requirements being met, there were no substantive changes to our proposals requested at this stage.

Business Premises: Noise

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has issued recent guidance on resolving noise nuisance complaints about commercial properties when the local authority finds that criteria for statutory noise nuisance is not being met.

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of lowering the threshold for statutory noise nuisance for commercial properties.

Rebecca Pow: The Government is committed to ensuring that noise is managed effectively in order to promote good health and quality of life. We do not consider it appropriate to issue guidance on resolving noise nuisance complaints about commercial properties. Local authorities are the main enforcers of the statutory noise nuisance regime under Environmental Protection Act 1990, and decisions around resolving noise nuisance complaints are best taken by them using their knowledge of the specific context. There is no formal threshold in place for assessing noise nuisance from commercial properties. It is not possible to have a single objective noise-based measure that is applicable to all sources of noise in all situations, as effect levels are likely to be different for different noise sources, different people and at different times. However, owners of industrial, trade and business premises are expected to use the best practicable means available to minimise noise from their premises and operations.

Seating: Waste Disposal

Nick Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has taken steps to encourage local authorities to help businesses managing domestic seating waste containing persistent organic pollutants.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Agency are working to ensure that items of waste containing POPs are treated in a way that destroys the POPs content, thus eliminating the risk they pose to human health and the environment. Items of waste containing POPs cannot be landfilled, recycled, or prepared for reuse; the POP content must be incinerated to destroy the POPs. The Environment Agency is working to bring local authorities and the waste sector into compliance with these requirements. Core guidance on how to comply with this legislation was published on GOV.UK when this legislation was introduced in 2016 and 2019. The Environment Agency and Defra have been working with stakeholders, including local authority representatives, from early 2021, to help them prepare to comply. This engagement will continue as the Environment Agency activity develops. Additional guidance on how to manage waste upholstered domestic seating has been in development with stakeholders since winter 2021. This was issued to local authorities and their contractors in August 2022 and published on GOV.UK on 19 December 2022. The Environment Agency will continue to maintain and update this guidance as needed. The Government recognises that this is particularly challenging for some local authorities due to their geography and infrastructure. In December 2022 the Environment Agency published three Regulatory Positions (temporary conditional relaxations) designed to help local authorities manage their transition to compliance. Where there is local disruption to waste management services, the Environment Agency are rapidly engaging with local authorities and local waste operators to understand the barriers to compliance and how they can support resumed services.

Water: Environment Protection

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on the implementation and enforcement of Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017.

Rebecca Pow: The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 are implemented through river basin management plans. The third cycle River Basin Management Plans were published by the Environment Agency in December 2022.These are the most ambitious plans yet. To help deliver them, £5.3 billion worth of action by 2027 is already planned and funded.

Water: Pollution

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on the reduction of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution from agriculture into the water environment in the last four years.

Rebecca Pow: Significant action has been taken in the past four years to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution from agriculture, including: increasing funding for Environment Agency (EA) farm inspectors to deliver over 4,000 site inspections per year, particularly targeting inspections in catchments where protected sites are in an unfavourable condition.providing £1.3 million per year between 2021 and 2025 to the EA to pilot methods to improve farmer compliance and environmental outcomes, through our Testing Approaches to the Regulation of Agriculture project.expanding the successful Catchment Sensitive Farming partnership with over £30 million of extra funding to cover all farmland in England to offer advice and guidance on mitigating pollution.launching the Slurry Investment Grant providing at least £13 million this year to support investment in covered slurry stores in the highest priority areas of England. We have now made plans to go further. On 29th January we introduced a legally binding target to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution from agriculture into the water environment by 40% by 2038. Our interim target will reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution by 10% nationally and 15% in catchments containing a protected site in unfavourable condition due to nutrient pollution by 2028. Plans to ensure we achieve our legally binding target and interim target include paying farmers to adopt more sustainable farming practices that can improve water quality. In 2023 we will offer six new Sustainable Farming Incentive standards which will pay farmers for protective measures including in-field flower-rich strips, companion cropping and grassy field corners. The Environment Act 2021 creates a new statutory cycle of monitoring, planning and reporting on environmental improvement, based around the long-term Environmental Improvement Plan, which sets out our target and how we will achieve it. The Government must report annually on what it has done to implement the Environmental Improvement Plan and on whether the natural environment (or particular aspects of it) has improved. That report will also consider the progress that has been made towards meeting targets.

Water: Phosphorus

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has been made on reducing phosphorus loadings from treated wastewater in the last two years.

Rebecca Pow: Monitoring data on phosphorus loadings from treated wastewater is collated on a five-yearly basis to align with the water company business planning cycles. Between 2015 and 2020, phosphorus in treated wastewater discharged into rivers has reduced by 22%. However, the Government knows that the amount of phosphorus in treated wastewater is still damaging to the water environment. That is why we are requiring water companies to take further action to meet our new Environment Act target for wastewater. Water companies must deliver an 80% reduction in phosphorus loadings from treated wastewater by 2038 (against a 2020 baseline), with an interim target of 50% by 31 January 2028. To meet this target, we will work with the Environment Agency to tighten the permits on wastewater treatment works even further, requiring an additional estimated 400 treatment works to meet the strictest limits for phosphorus. Our amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will also contribute to the achievement of this target by requiring water companies to improve the performance of wastewater treatment works to the strictest limits for phosphorus in designated areas by 1 April 2030.

Rivers: Pollution Control

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on the reduction of levels of pollution caused by harmful metals from abandoned mines in rivers.

Rebecca Pow: The Defra Sponsored Water & Abandoned Metal Mines (WAMM) Programme was established in 2011 in partnership with the Environment Agency and the Coal Authority. The programme currently operates three mine water treatment schemes which tackle the pollution caused by contaminated groundwater flowing out of drainage tunnels dug by the miners. These schemes decrease pollution levels in 20Km of rivers by capturing around 140 tonnes of the Environment Act target substances each year along with about 600 tonnes of iron. A number of diffuse interventions have also been completed to tackle the pollution caused by rainfall washing metals out of contaminated wastes the miners left at the surface. These interventions are designed to decrease pollution levels in a further 80km of rivers. The new legally binding abandoned metal mines water target will deliver a ten-fold increase in the WAMM programme, upscaling the existing three treatment schemes with 40 more by 2038, to tackle pollution by six substances: arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc. Collectively, these have been referred to as “harmful metals”. The delivery plan for this target is outlined on page 119 of the Environmental Improvement Plan. Two new mine water treatment schemes are under construction and will start operating in 2023 (the Nent Haggs scheme in the North East and the Coombe scheme in Cornwall). More information on the WAMM Programme can be found at the .GOV pages on Metal Mine Water Treatment and Cleaning up rivers polluted by abandoned metal mines.

Roads: Litter

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce the level of littering by main roads.

Rebecca Pow: Local councils are responsible for keeping the majority of trunk roads and other, more minor roads clear of litter. In recent years we have bolstered their enforcement powers to tackle roadside litter by giving them powers to issue a civil penalty of between £65 and £150 to the keeper of a vehicle from which litter is thrown. Last year, we published our report on Litter on the Strategic Road Network having worked closely with DfT and DLUHC which explored the challenges faced by councils in keeping major roads clear of litter. Next steps on tackling the issue were set out in our most recent Litter Strategy Annual Report. These included exploring the potential for making National Highways responsible for keeping the entire Strategic Road Network clear of litter and for National Highways to publish best practice on effective partnership working with councils in respect of litter clearance on the network.

Packaging: Recycling

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2023 to Question 136754 on Packaging: Recycling, what the policy objective is of her Department’s eight-week visioning sprint programme.

Rebecca Pow: The policy objectives of the Sprints are to build a shared vision on the landscape around packaging reforms in 10 years' time. This includes a shared strategic roadmap detailing a UK Government and industry agreed view of how the benefits will be realised over time. The overall objective is to build a multi-stakeholder view and recommendation to policy on how to incorporate EPR policies in a way that best realises the shared benefits and vision. Representatives from the Devolved Assemblies were invited to nominate attendees, ensuring all UK nations guide common future packaging reform policy.

Packaging: Recycling

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2023 to Question 136754 on Packaging: Recycling, what (a) representations and (b) feedback her Department has received from (i) industry representatives and (ii) others on the work of the Business Readiness Forum.

Rebecca Pow: We continually engage with industry on the EPR packaging requirements and are providing guidance and support to ensure a smooth transition. Feedback from industry has been encouraging and having dedicated forums for industry has been well received.

Packaging: Recycling

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2023 to Question 136753 on Packaging: Recycling, how the funding model would work for obligated businesses paying into the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme.

Rebecca Pow: The funding model involves every obligated producer being billed for its share of the full net costs incurred by UK local authorities managing household packaging waste. Local authority costs will be determined by the Scheme Administrator using a model that assumes local authority packaging waste management is efficient and effective. Each producer’s share will reflect the weight of packaging associated with the products they supply in the UK. From 2025/26, fees will be adjusted (“modulated”) to reflect the recyclability of packaging materials. The scale of the adjustments will be determined by the Scheme Administrator. In addition to making payments to local authorities for the costs of managing packaging waste, each producer will contribute to the operating costs of the Scheme Administrator.

Packaging: Recycling

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2023 to Question 136753 on Packaging: Recycling, whether the Impact Assessment needs to be reviewed in response to recent increases in costs for businesses.

Rebecca Pow: In May 2022, in response to increasing inflationary pressure in the economy, we modelled an increase in the full net cost of collecting and managing household packaging waste. Specifically, we looked at the impact of an increase in fuel costs, staff costs due to an increase in wages, and in the cost of trucks used for collections. Fairly sizeable increases in these costs were modelled and the result was that the overall increase in full net costs was not substantial. An updated impact assessment will be published later this year alongside the draft Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2023.

Watersure

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the eligibility criteria for the WaterSure scheme.

Rebecca Pow: WaterSure is the only national tariff for which Government sets the criteria, it is intended to help customers on low incomes with unavoidably high water usage who may otherwise struggle to pay their water bill. To be eligible for WaterSure, customers must be in receipt of means tested benefits, which provides an appropriate measure for assessing income, and have either three or more children under 19 or a medical condition requiring the extra use of water. A post implementation review of The Water Industry (Charges) (Vulnerable Groups) (Consolidation) Regulations 2015, carried out in 2020 concluded that no changes to the Regulations were required. The Consumer Council for Water’s Independent Review of Water Affordability, published in 2021, did not recommend any changes to WaterSure’s eligibility criteria, rather changes to how companies administer the scheme.

Humber Estuary: Flood Control

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total budget is for Humber 2100+ as of 14 February 2023; and what funds his Department has allocated for that purpose in each of the next three years.

Rebecca Pow: The total current budget allocation for the Humber 2100+ project is £12.1 million, funded wholly by Defra Grant in Aid (GiA). This includes a currently estimated budget allocation of £4 million over the next three years for strategy development and approval. The Humber 2100+ project is developing a new tidal flood risk management strategy for the Humber area for the next 100 years and this will set the framework for future investment needs to manage tidal flood risk across the region. The new strategy is being developed alongside an ongoing programme of investment in flood risk management around the Humber. The indicator allocation for this on-going investment is £59.6 million over the next three years, of which £47.4 million is Defra GiA.

Thames Estuary: Flood Control

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total budget is for Thames Estuary 2100, including the Thames Estuary Asset Management 2100 (TEAM 2100) Programme, as of 14 February 2023; and what funds have been allocated for that purpose in the next three financial years.

Rebecca Pow: Delivery of the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan is broken down into several projects that deliver parts of the strategy, such as the Thames Estuary 2100 Programme (TEAM2100) which was established to deliver the first 10 years of asset management in the 2100 Plan. The indicative allocated funds for the next 3 financial years is £184.4 million, including £178.7 million for the TEAM 2100 Programme. Funding beyond 2023/24 is based on forecast which will be reviewed and is therefore subject to change.

Home Office

Asylum: Food

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the quantity of food provided to asylum seekers in temporary accommodation.

Robert Jenrick: Asylum seekers in contingency accommodation are provided breakfast, lunch and evening meals, with a choice of at least one hot and one cold selection, at least one vegetarian option, a beverage service with each main meal and a food service for babies and small children with the appropriate foodstuffs. Food is provided in a location easily accessible to all. Additional foodstuffs or meals are also provided as required to meet the nutritional needs of Service Users for whom three daily meals may be insufficient. We continuously look at ways to improve our procedures to ensure we address concerns quickly and effectively, and one of the tools we use to achieve this is through our targeted customer experience surveys. These are 100% anonymous and available 24/7 in a variety of languages. The Initial Accommodation (IA) survey in particular is aimed at all those who reside in all forms of contingency accommodation and seeks insight directly from service users on their experience of fundamental aspects of the provision. This includes questions on the accommodation standards and suitability, food offering, information provided and overall service. The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration also conducted a thorough review of contingency accommodation. Their findings were published in May 2022 and the Home Office has accepted all of the recommendations made. The food service at hotels meets appropriate nutritional standards for each varied menu and satisfies cultural, religious, health or other specific requirements.

Extradition: USA

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been extradited from the (a) UK to the US and (b) US to the UK in each year since 2003.

Tom Tugendhat: I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Home Office’s response to Question 27510.The table below provides a breakdown of extraditions between the UK and the US between 2022 and 2023 (Feb).YearUK to USUS to UK20221622023*13* Figures until 22 February 2023.All figures are from local management information and have not been quality assured to the level of published National Statistics. As such they should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change. The figures do not include Scotland, which deals with its own extradition cases.

Extradition: USA

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were extradited from the US to the UK for (a) violent and (b) non-violent crimes in each year since 2003.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were extradited from the UK to the US for (a) violent and (b) non-violent crimes in each year since 2003.

Tom Tugendhat: To provide this information in the requested breakdown could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Children

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February to Question 129763 on Asylum: Children, if he will provide a breakdown of the (a) age and (b) gender of the 199 missing children as of 26 January.

Robert Jenrick: Of the 199 missing UASC as of 26.01.23, one is female and 198 are male. The majority of missing UASC are aged 16-17; a definitive breakdown is not currently available. Please note that this is not the current figure of missing people as that is currently 196.This information was taken from live operational data and is subject to change.

Fraud: Victims

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support victims of fraud.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help recover (a) money, (b) valuables and (c) possessions lost by victims of fraud.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department’s attempts to (a) tackle and (b) prevent fraud.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of her Department’s resources are allocated to (a) tackling and (b) helping to prevent fraud.

Tom Tugendhat: This Government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this devastating crime. This is why we will shortly publish a new strategy to address the threat of fraud.Safeguarding victims will form a key pillar of the strategy. It will set out how more victims of authorised fraud will get their money back through legislation to enable the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) to require reimbursement by all payment service providers. HMG has already introduced measures in the Financial Services and Markets Bill (2022) to give the PSR the power to mandate reimbursement to victims of fraud.To improve victim support, the Home Office is also working with City of London Police to expand the Action Fraud National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU) across England and Wales for victims whose cases are not investigated by the police. The NECVCU service aims to help victims cope and recover – including through advice on how to recover losses - and to significantly reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. The Home Office is working with City of London Police to deliver a nationwide rollout of NECVCU from 2023.The Home Office has a total of 31 FTE to tackle fraud against businesses and individuals. The 2021 Spending Review allocated £400 million to tackling economic crime, including fraud. Over the next three years, close to £100m will be spent on tackling fraud. This is in addition to the funding that the Home Office commits each year to the National Economic Crime Centre in the NCA, and police forces, including over £15m each year to the City of London Police as the national lead force for fraud and the operator of the Action Fraud and National Fraud Intelligence Bureau services.

Psilocybin: Misuse

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2023 to Question 126511 and the Answer of 9th February 2023 to Question 140011, whether her Department is in possession of any (a) recent and (b) historic evidence to show that Psilocybin (i) causes harm or (ii) has the potential to cause harm.

Chris Philp: As I set out in response to Question 140011, Psilocybin, in common with a number of drugs that have been controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (the 1971 Act) for a considerable period of time, has not been subject to analysis or recent analysis of harm.The Government has not commissioned or published any recent analysis of the harms of psilocybin. Psilocybin, as an “ester of psilocin”, is controlled as a Class A drug under the 1971 Act and is placed in Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. Psilocin is also subject to the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, to which the United Kingdom is signatory.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to correspondence from the Rt Hon. Member for East Ham dated 29 November 2022, reference ST101757.

Robert Jenrick: A reply from the Minister for Immigration will be provided as soon as possible

Police: Forensic Science

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure an adequate levels of qualified forensic scientists are available to police forces.

Chris Philp: Investment in forensics to policing is determined by individual forces and Police and Crime Commissioners. The Home Office has also invested £4.33m in 2022/23 to the police-led Forensic Capability Network (FCN).As part of this investment the FCN is developing a Workforce Strategic Plan which includes people & skills, recruitment & retention and wellbeing. It includes a new Digital Forensics curriculum and Digital Forensic apprenticeships, that has been piloted by some forces.

Bicycles: Theft

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many bicycle thefts there were in (a) London and (b) England in the last 12 months.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the theft of bicycles; and if she will make a statement.

Chris Philp: The Home Office works closely with the British Transport Police (BTP), the national lead for cycle theft, to tackle the theft of bicycles. BTP have recently launched the ‘double lock it’ campaign with police forces and organisations, providing advice to owners to help better protect their bicycles. Further information on the campaign and bicycle locks can be found here: https://www.btp.police.uk/police-forces/british-transport-police/areas/campaigns/double-lock-it/.The Department for Transport (DfT) published its Cycling and Walking Plan for England, Gear Change, in 2020, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cycling-and-walking-plan-for-england. The Plan aims to boost cycling and walking and sets out a number of initiatives to combat cycle theft DfT is leading including encouraging retailers to number the bicycles they sell and offer customers the opportunity to register their bicycle on a database at the point of sale.The BTP-led National Cycle Crime Group, working with DfT, have set up Cycle Crime Reduction Partnerships across the country to coordinate regional enforcement activity to disrupt organised cycle theft.The Home Office collects and publishes official statistics on the number of bicycle theft offences reported to and recorded by the police in England and Wales and their investigative outcomes including charges, on a quarterly basis. These can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables The number of police recorded bicycle theft offences for London and England are as follows.(Source: Home Office Police Recorded Crime)Year ending September 2022 London19,374England70,873Bicycle theft figures from the Crime Survey of England and Wales in Mar 2010 compared to now, which are:Year to Mar 2010: 466,000Year to June 2022: 242,000Reduction of 48%

Hillsborough Families' Experiences Review

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times the Home Office Hillsborough Team has initiated contact with bereaved families.

Chris Philp: The Government remains committed to engaging with the Hillsborough families on its overarching response to the Bishop James Jones’ report on the experiences of the Hillsborough families, prior to its publication in due course.That commitment was reiterated by the Home Secretary in her response to the debate on 31 January concerning Crime and Neighbourhood Policing.The former Home Secretary, Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, wrote to the Hillsborough families in July 2021, via the Independent Office for Police Conduct, concerning plans for engagement with them on the Bishop’s report. Families were directed to respond to the Home Office team which facilitates the arrangements for its engagement with the families.Separate from the Home Office’s plans to engage with the bereaved families on the Government’s response to the Bishop’s wider report, Mr Glenn Taylor, who is conducting the independent pathology review of the response to Hillsborough, has met with former representatives of one of the Hillsborough family groups to seek their views and address any concerns they may have about the scope of the review. Further engagement with the Hillsborough families on the pathology review is scheduled to take place in the coming weeks. .

Asylum: Housing

Ben Everitt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to ensure that accommodation sites for asylum seekers will be distributed equally across the UK.

Robert Jenrick: The enduring solution to this challenge is to stop the illegal, dangerous and unnecessary small boat crossings that are overwhelming our asylum system. Not only is every crossing attempt a potential tragedy, as we have seen far too often, but the people arriving via these small boats have travelled through, and have left, safe countries with fully functioning asylum systems to reach the UK.The former Minister for safe and Legal Routes announced a move to full dispersal on 13 April 2022. The new system of full dispersal accommodation allows the Home Office to move from using hotels to less expensive and more suitable dispersed accommodation. Under full dispersal plans, all Local Authorities in England, Scotland and Wales are considered a dispersal area and are required to to take part in asylum dispersal. This will lead to a more equitable distribution of asylum seekers across the UK and reduce pressures on the minority of Local Authorities which previously participated.To support full dispersal, delivery plans have been developed in partnership with local government across all UK regions. Plans were designed to ensure a more equitable spread of dispersed accommodation across the UK. Regional Governance Boards will monitor performance against plans.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to priority five in the Prime Minister's speech of 4 January setting out his priorities for 2023, whether she has sought legal advice to check compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights of the proposed legislation to stop small boats; and if she will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: Any legal advice received by the Home Office is subject to legal professional privilege and, as such, we do not comment on legal advice that may or may not have been sought or received.

Asylum: Vetting

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve background checks on asylum seekers.

Robert Jenrick: All asylum claimants are subject to mandatory security checks against their claimed identity including criminality checks on UK databases. This is critical to the delivery of a safe and secure immigration system. We are working to strengthen ties with international partners to make vital intelligence sharing more seamless.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impacts of delayed EU Settlement Scheme Administrative Reviews upon applicants who are awaiting a decision.

Robert Jenrick: The level of EU Settlement Scheme administrative reviews is constantly monitored to manage the potential impacts on applicants awaiting their decision. Resources are being increased in order to address delays and we continue to work through applications in turn and as quickly as possible.All EU Settlement Scheme administrative review applicants awaiting a decision continue to benefit from the protected rights gained when their initial EUSS application was made, as confirmed by a Certificate of Application.

Visas: Turkey

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to prioritise visa applications for the relatives of UK citizens and residents affected by the recent earthquake in Turkey.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to prioritise visa applications for the relatives of UK citizens and residents affected by the recent earthquake in Syria.

Robert Jenrick: The UK government continue to support British nationals with relatives impacted by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Where family members do not have a current UK visa, they can apply online via one of our standard visa routes, which remain available, and biometrics can be submitted at the nearest Visa Application Centre (VAC). UKVI will aim to process any compassionate cases as quickly as possible in line with current guidance. Should individual circumstances require a quicker decision, customers should flag this with visa application centre staff when submitting their biometrics and UKVI will consider this as part of their wider application. If customers have an existing visa application and have been impacted by the earthquake, then they should please contact the UKVI Contact Centre, details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk.

High Court: Judgements

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Home Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policy of the High Court ruling on R v Secretary of State for the Home Department.

Robert Jenrick: It is not clear from the Hon. Member’s question which case he is referring to, however, the Home Office will always consider the implication of relevant High Court judgments as part of policy development.

Asylum: Hotels

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which public bodies have (a) statutory responsibility for safeguarding residents and (b) power to inspect safeguarding provisions in asylum accommodation hotels.

Robert Jenrick: The safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers in our care is of paramount importance to the Home Office. We have an important role to play in identifying those at risk and sharing relevant information with statutory agencies so they can fulfil their legal responsibilities. The statutory agencies responsible for safeguarding adults and children are local authorities, health care providers and the police. The Home Office has a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children as detailed in Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the letter of 2 February 2023 from the hon. Member for Glasgow North East.

Robert Jenrick: This response was issued on 21 February 2023.

Asylum

David Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average duration of the asylum procedure at first instance is in the UK.

Robert Jenrick: The number of decisions made within 6 months of application in table ASY_01 of the Migration Transparency data. The average duration of the asylum procedure at first instance is not published.

Members: Correspondence

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the correspondence of 17 January 2023 sent to the urgent queries inbox from the hon. Member for Liverpool Walton on Vladislav Popov.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office replied on 21 February 2023.

Visas: British National (Overseas)

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether people from Hong Kong on a British National (Overseas) visa are permitted to referee sport at an amateur level.

Robert Jenrick: Holders of a Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa can work in virtually any capacity in the UK, with the exception of being employed as a professional sportsperson or sports coach.This Government does not restrict anyone taking part in recreational sport as an amateur. ‘Amateur’ is defined in the Immigration Rules as “a person who engages in a sport or creative activity solely for personal enjoyment and who is not seeking to derive a living from the activity.”However, if an individual meets any of the indicators listed in the definition of ‘Professional Sportsperson’ in the Immigration Rules, they are classified as such, and if the restriction on work as a professional sportsperson is present in their visa conditions, they would therefore be breaching the terms of their visa.

Visas: Syria and Turkey

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has plans to take steps to implement a Family Scheme Visa for people in (a) Türkiye and (b) Syria who have family in the UK and have been left homeless following earthquakes in February 2023.

Robert Jenrick: The Government has no plans to implement specific schemes for those impacted by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, existing visa routes for those wishing to come to the UK are available.The UK continues to provide lifesaving and emergency support, coordinating closely with the Turkish government and United Nations in Syria to ensure our support meets the needs on the ground and that we can stay responsive to emerging needs.

Asylum: Children

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish her Department’s plans for ending the use of hotels to accommodate unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

Robert Jenrick: The rise in the number of small boat crossings has placed significant pressures on local authority care placements for young people.We take the safety and welfare of those in our care seriously and the Home Office has robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure those in our accommodation are as safe and supported as possible as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.Adult men are not accommodated with asylum seeking women and children in dispersal accommodation unless they are part of the same family group. Single adult men are not accommodated with female adults, families or unrelated children.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Buildings: Repairs and Maintenance

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has held discussions with (a) Scotfield and (b) Shephard Construction on signing the developers pledge on unsafe cladding.

Lee Rowley: Last year, 49 of the largest developers signed a public pledge committing to fix life-critical fire-safety defects in residential buildings 11 metres and over in height which they developed or refurbished in England over the last 30 years. Scotfield and Shephard Construction are not signatories to the pledge On 30 January 2023, the Government published the developer remediation contract, which sets out the detail of the commitments in the pledge and will be legally binding once signed, and a letter to developers asking them to sign the contract by 13 March. The letter was sent to developers who had signed the pledge and to several who have not signed it and stated that recipients who did not sign the contract by 13 March should expect this fact to be made public In his statement of 30 January, the Secretary of State made clear that we intend to extend the Scheme in due course to an even larger group of developers who are associated with unsafe buildings 11 metres and over in height and who should be paying to fix them.

Council Housing

Richard Foord: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to support councils to provide and maintain adequate council housing.

Dehenna Davison: In the Levelling Up White Paper the Government set out its ambition to reduce the number of non-decent rented homes by 50% by 2030 with the biggest improvements in the lowest performing areas. In the Charter for Social Housing Residents, the government committed to a range of measures to drive up the quality of social housing, including through the introduction of a new, proactive consumer regulation regime and a review of the Decent Home Standard.Further to the statement made by the Secretary of State on 16 November 2022, the Social Housing Regulation Bill will create a strong and proactive consumer regulation regime that will drive up standards in social housing and help tenants and the Regulator of Social Housing hold landlords to account. The Regulator will have stronger enforcement powers so they can take robust action if they identify failings by social housing landlords. We expect registered providers to place tenants’ concerns at the heart of all they do, with effective resident engagement in place, so no one has to live in sub-standard social housing.

Offices: Change of Use

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will provide a regional breakdown of the number of planning applications to convert office space into housing received in each of the last four years.

Rachel Maclean: The department collects numbers of decisions made on such applications during each quarter at the following link.

Local Plans

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that (a) cycling and walking network plans and (b) rights of way improvement plans drawn up by local transport and highway authorities are (i) recorded in and (ii) supported by local planning authority development plans.

Rachel Maclean: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 109640 on 21 December 2022.

Department for Business and Trade

Food: Prices

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when Ministers in her Department held discussions with Ministers in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on international food prices in the last 12 months.

Kevin Hollinrake: Department for Business and Trade indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Food Supply

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when (a) she and (b) her predecessors held discussions with Ministers in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on food security in the last 12 months.

Kevin Hollinrake: Department for Business and Trade indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Food: Prices

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when (a) she and (b) her predecessors held discussions with Ministers in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on international food prices in the last 12 months.

Kevin Hollinrake: Department for Business and Trade indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Food Supply

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when Ministers in her Department held discussions with Ministers in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on food security in the last 12 months.

Kevin Hollinrake: Department for Business and Trade indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Trade Agreements: Australia

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has been informed of when Australia will implement the immigration visa changes under the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement.

Nigel Huddleston: The UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will make it easier for UK professionals to live and work in Australia, creating greater certainty for businesses. We expect the UK-Australia FTA will enter into force in Spring 2023. The agreement’s commitments on the temporary movement of skilled professionals will come into effect at this time. Outside of the agreement, Australia has also committed to implementing changes to their Working Holiday Maker programme within two years of entry into force, and the delivery of a unilateral Innovation and Early Careers Skills Exchange Pilot within one year of entry into force.

Draft Audit Reform Bill

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when her Department will publish the draft Audit Reform Bill.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government has not set a date for publication of a draft Audit Reform Bill. The Government is committed to legislating when Parliamentary time allows.

Delivery Services: Standards

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing legislative proposals to require delivery companies to provide proof of delivery notices rather than notices of delivery.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government currently has no plans to change postal services legislation. Ofcom is the independent regulator for the sector with the responsibility and powers to regulate postal services.

Redundancy Pay

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions she has had with HMRC on a recent change of a policy on the way in which HMRC deals with those individuals who are both directors and employees for redundancy payment purposes in the event of a company going into liquidation.

Kevin Hollinrake: It is the Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Service (RPS) that processes redundancy claims from employees of companies in liquidation.In order to determine whether a company director is also an employee and entitled to payment from RPS, the relationship with the employer is reviewed. It has always been the case that a claimant must have been an employee of an insolvent employer to qualify for payment. RPS must protect the National Insurance Fund and not make payments to individuals who do not qualify. We therefore ask all directors to provide proof to support their claim that they were an employee.Guidance on director claims can be found at Gov.uk - director claims.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Energy: Meters

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish a summary of energy suppliers' responses on redress for vulnerable customers affected by forced prepayment meter installations.

Graham Stuart: All suppliers responded to my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State and set out their plans for identifying customers that may have had prepayment meters wrongfully installed. These plans have been shared with Ofgem. On 21st February, Ofgem set out more detail on their prepayment meter market compliance review and reiterated that suppliers should take action now if they are aware of instances wher a prepayment meter has been installed inappropriately.

Alternative Fuel Payments

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many Alternative Fuel Payments had been issued by the end of Friday 17 February 2023.

Graham Stuart: It is not possible to give a precise number of how many payments have been issued at this stage in the scheme. The vast majority of eligible households will receive the payment automatically via their electricity supplier from 6 February. Payments are expected to be completed within the month - although this will depend on customers’ suppliers and how they pay their bills.

Energy: Standing Charges

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of taking legislative steps to reduce energy standing charges.

Graham Stuart: Decisions about standing charges are a commercial matter for energy suppliers. The standing charge is a fixed charge that suppliers pass on to their customers to cover the cost of providing a live supply. Under the Energy Price Guarantee, average standing charges for customers on default tariffs remain capped in line with the levels set by Ofgem. Ofgem reviewed the components of the standing charge to see if they could be reduced and concluded that retaining the current methodology would protect users with greater energy needs and decided not to direct industry parties to make changes to the methodology.

Energy Bill Relief Scheme: Park Homes

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2023 to Question 137949 on Energy Bills Rebate: Park Homes, if he will clarify the Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding eligibility criteria for park home residents, in the context of those people being likely to be eligible.

Graham Stuart: If a park home resident receives their electricity via a park site owner with a commercial contract, the park home resident should be eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding. If the park home site owner holds a domestic energy contract, the owner will have received the Energy Bills Support Scheme support automatically in six instalments, and must ensure this is passed onto park home residents in a just and reasonable manner.

Energy: Rented Housing

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to regulate the energy rates landlords charge tenants.

Graham Stuart: Under Ofgem’s Maximum Resale Price rules, landlords with a domestic contract with an energy supplier are required not to charge tenants more than they have paid suppliers for the energy.

Tidal Power: Finance

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he expects the budget for ringfenced support for tidal stream energy in Allocation Round 5 for Contracts for Difference will be at least as large as that provided in Allocation Round 4.

Graham Stuart: Final parameters for Allocation Round 5 (AR5) are currently under development. This involves a careful analysis of all technologies available in AR5, including tidal stream energy, against the Government's legal obligations. The Government is considering the appropriate parameters to ensure a competitive auction and the sufficient deployment of all technologies. Budgets set will reflect parameter decisions. A Budget Notice for AR5 with the full auction and budgetary details will be published in March 2023.

Energy Bills Discount Scheme

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, by what mechanism he expects local authorities to make the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding payments to eligible applicants.

Graham Stuart: A single payment of £400 will be paid directly into the bank accounts of eligible applicants of the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding, by local authorities.

Energy: Meters

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2023 to Question 140142 on Energy: Meters, when Ofgem will make that assessment of energy payment methods.

Graham Stuart: On 21 February, Ofgem published a Call for Evidence on a package of work focused on prepayment meters, including looking at all energy payment methods to see whether there is a case for levelling them. Responses are requested by 7 March.

Energy: Meters

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of households with smart meters that do not have a functioning in-home visual display unit for those meters.

Graham Stuart: When energy suppliers install smart meters in a household, they are required to offer the customer an In-Home Display (IHD). They are also obligated to provide support for IHDs, including repair or replacement where necessary, within the first year of installation. The Government does not hold data on the number of households experiencing problems with IHDs. Research shows the majority of smart metered consumers use IHDs as their primary method of monitoring energy use, and that this feedback is supporting consumers in managing their usage and reducing consumption. Ofgem is responsible for regulating suppliers against their licence obligations.

Members: Correspondence

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to respond to the letter of 10 February 2023 from the hon. Member for Glasgow North East on a meeting with the APPG on Prepayment Meters.

Graham Stuart: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State confirms receipt of your correspondence of 10 February regarding prepayment meters and your request for a meeting with the newly-formed AAPG. He will respond shortly.

Tidal Power

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if the Government will set a target for tidal stream.

Graham Stuart: The Government is considering the merits of setting a target for tidal stream deployment.

Tidal Power

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Government will maintain the tidal stream ringfence in Allocation Round 5; and what plans his Department has to secure the UK’s 11GW+ of tidal stream capacity.

Graham Stuart: Round 5, including for tidal stream, will be published in the Budget Notice in March 2023. The Government is committed to exploring the potential of tidal power to contribute to the Government's Net Zero ambitions. Over 40MW of new tidal stream power was secured via Allocation Round 4. To enable delivery of the commitments in the British Energy Security Strategy, the Department has strengthened the energy National Policy Statements, including a framework for assessing planning applications for tidal stream projects of above 100MW capacity. The Department will re-consult on the draft National Policy Statements shortly.

Renewable Energy: Seas and Oceans

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the system benefit of marine energy renewables will be accurately valued in future Contract for Difference auctions.

Graham Stuart: The Government is committed to exploring the potential of marine technologies to contribute to our Net Zero ambitions. The Department designs Contract for Difference (CfD) auctions to maximise low-carbon electricity deployment at low cost. Contracts are awarded under the CfD scheme following a competitive process. Each year the Department considers market conditions, project pipeline, and project costs in setting CfD auction parameters. Full auction parameters for CfD Allocation Round 5, including for tidal stream and wave, will be published in the Budget Notice in March 2023.

Energy Charter Treaty: Departmental Responsibilities

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is responsible for negotiations on the Energy Charter Treaty.

Graham Stuart: Overall responsibility for the Energy Charter Treaty lies with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The Department for Business and Trade leads on negotiating the investment provisions within the Treaty.

Cabinet Office

Emergencies: Mobile Phones

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department plans to launch the new Emergency Alerts capability announced in August 2022 and outlined in the National Resilience Framework in December 2022; and whether his Department is taking steps to put in place a public information strategy on the introduction of emergency alerts.

Jeremy Quin: The Emergency Alerts capability is due to be trialled nationally this year with an initial focus on flooding and extreme weather-related events. Subject to the outcome of an evaluation, its scope will likely be widened to other use cases.Emergency Alerts offer the ability to rapidly disseminate life-saving information to the public via their mobile phones. It is rapid, targeted to those in an affected area, and has no data or privacy implications (no information on a recipient or their location is gathered or shared).The launch will be preceded by a public information campaign culminating in a UK-wide test message - a nationwide simultaneous alert sent to all compatible mobile phones across the United Kingdom. This approach has been found elsewhere to maximise awareness and understanding on how recipients should react on receiving alerts.

Government Departments: Advertising

Grahame Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2023 to Question 135209 Government Departments: Advertising, what percentage of the Government’s advertising budget is spent with local news media.

Jeremy Quin: I refer the Hon. member to the answer given to PQ 133739 on 3 February 2023.Additionally, we recognise the enormous trust that the public have in local media and the important role that local media therefore play in spreading our messages. As well as local and regional advertising, Government campaigns also make use of a full range of low and no cost channels in order to reach local communities.

Government Departments: Procurement

Angela Rayner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many suppliers the Government excluded from procurement on the grounds of fraud under the Public Contract Regulations 2015 in (a) 2015 (b) 2018 and (c) 2021.

Alex Burghart: The Government is committed to tackling fraud and corruption in public procurement. All contracting authorities must act, and be seen to act, with integrity.Information on how many suppliers the Government excluded from procurement on the grounds of fraud under the Public Contract Regulations 2015 is not held centrally. Departments will hold their own exclusions data.The Public Sector Fraud Authority was established in August 2022 to work with departments and public bodies to understand the causes of fraud and reduce its impact, throughout the commercial lifecycle.The Procurement Bill, which is making its way through Parliament, further strengthens the rules on supplier exclusion for fraud and corruption.

Emergencies: Planning

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many members of staff his Department currently employs in its Planning and Analysis Secretariat; and at which grades those members of staff are employed.

Jeremy Quin: The Planning and Analysis Secretariat was absorbed into the Economic and Domestic Secretariat as part of a consolidation of Cabinet Office secretariat structures in September 2022.The functions of the Planning and Analysis Secretariat now sit in two directorates of the Economic and Domestic Secretariat - the Resilience Directorate and the Joint Data and Analysis Centre (JDAC).The Resilience Directorate was established last year to take a more strategic approach to national resilience and drive work across the system to strengthen it. The Directorate currently has approximately 65 staff.The Joint Data and Analysis Centre (JDAC) was established to support emergency response and strategic policy choices at the heart of Government. The multidisciplinary team of analysts, economists, technologists and data scientists aim to ensure key Government decisions are based on the best possible data and strategic analysis. JDAC includes the National Situation Centre, which brings timely data analysis and insights from across and beyond Government to support situational awareness on crisis and national security issues, drawing upon lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. JDAC currently has approximately 70 staff.

Emergencies: Planning

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many members of staff his Department currently employs in the National Resilience Framework Team in the Cabinet Office; and at which grades those staff are employed.

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff and at what grades are employed in the Cabinet Office's Resilience Directorate.

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff and at what grades are employed in the Emergency Planning College.

Jeremy Quin: The Resilience Directorate in the Cabinet Office owns and drives implementation of the UK Government Resilience Framework. The Directorate was established last year as part of wider strengthening of Cabinet Office structures, and works, alongside the COBR Unit which leads on national crisis response and contingency planning.The Directorate is also responsible for the Emergency Planning College, which is the national centre for resilience learning and development, based at the Hawkhills Estate near York.The Resilience Directorate is headed by a Director, and consists of five teams covering critical systems and sectors, national risks, training and exercising, legislation and capabilities, and strategy and planning.The Resilience Directorate has approximately 65 staff, including a small number of staff based on site at the Emergency Planning College, responsible for contract and learning management, as well as curriculum development. These staff are at a variety of grades, ranging from senior civil servants to executive officers.

Treasury

Energy Bills Discount Scheme

Jess Phillips: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will undertake a review of the Standard Industrial Classification codes that will be eligible for the Energy Bills Discount Scheme; and if he will take steps to include codes (a) 31020 for kitchen manufacturers and (b) 31090 for bathroom manufacturers in that scheme.

James Cartlidge: The new Energy Bills Discount Scheme will provide all eligible businesses and other non-domestic energy users across the UK with a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024, following the end of the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme. It will also provide businesses in sectors with particularly high levels of energy use and trade intensity with a higher level of support. We have taken a consistent approach to identifying the most energy and trade intensive sectors, with all sectors that meet agreed thresholds for energy and trade intensity eligible for Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETII) support. These thresholds have been set at sectors falling above the 80th percentile for energy intensity and 60th percentile for trade intensity, plus any sectors eligible for the existing energy compensation and exemption schemes. Through the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme, the Government provided an unprecedented package of support for non-domestic users through this winter. The Government has been clear that such levels of support, unprecedented in its nature and huge scale, were time-limited and intended as a bridge to allow businesses to adapt. The new scheme therefore strikes a balance between supporting businesses for a further 12 months, from April 2023 to March 2024, and limiting taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets, with a cap set at £5.5 billion based on estimated volumes. This provides long term certainty for businesses and reflects how the scale of the challenge has changed since September last year. We will of course continue to monitor energy prices in the coming months. Further details on the scheme, including information on eligibility and discount levels, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bills-discount-scheme.

Energy Intensive Industries: Spirits

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, where the manufacture of spirits ranked under the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme criteria.

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, where the manufacture of cider ranked under the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme.

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, where the manufacture of beer ranked under the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme criteria.

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, where the manufacture of wine ranked under the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme criteria.

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2023 to Question 138433 on Energy Bill Relief Scheme: Leisure and Swimming Pools, for what reason his Department did not provide the percentile figure for (a) energy intensity and (b) trade intensity for (i) swimming pools and (ii) leisure centres as part of the Government's trade and energy intensity assessment.

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish (a) a list of the (i) energy intensity and (ii) trade intensity percentiles of each sector within the list of sectors eligible for the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme and (b) the percentile figures for (i) swimming pools and (ii) leisure centres which his Department has calculated.

James Cartlidge: The new Energy Bills Discount Scheme will provide all eligible businesses and other non-domestic energy users across the UK with a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024, following the end of the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme. It will also provide businesses in sectors with particularly high levels of energy use and trade intensity with a higher level of support. We have taken a consistent approach to identifying the most energy and trade intensive sectors, with all sectors that meet agreed thresholds for energy and trade intensity eligible for Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETII) support. These thresholds have been set at sectors falling above the 80th percentile for energy intensity and 60th percentile for trade intensity, plus any sectors eligible for the existing energy compensation and exemption schemes. All other eligible businesses will automatically receive a unit discount on their bills of up to £19.61/MW for electricity, and £6.97/MW for gas. Further details on the scheme, including information on eligibility and discount levels, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bills-discount-scheme.

Economic Crime Levy

John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much he expects the Economic Crime Levy to yield in the current financial year.

John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much and what proportion of the Economic Crime Levy her Department plans to use to tackle money laundering in financial year (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.

Andrew Griffith: The Economic Crime (Anti-Money Laundering) Levy aims to raise £100 million per year to support action to combat money laundering, with the funding available from 2023-24. Alongside an increase in public sector spending announced at the 2021 Spending Review, the levy will provide an important private sector contribution from those industries at highest risk of being abused for money laundering. Taken together, this will result in an investment of around £400 million to tackle economic crime across the Spending Review period. That is a substantial investment and will support a step change in our response. As outlined in the Government’s consultation on the design of the levy, all activities funded by the levy will contribute to tackling money laundering. The Government has also committed to publishing an annual report on the levy, in addition to a more wide-ranging review by the end of 2027. These mechanisms will provide transparency on how the policy is performing, and how money raised through the levy is being spent.

Members: Correspondence

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Liverpool Walton of 10 January 2023 on the international aid budget.

John Glen: The hon. Member's correspondence was received on 10 January 2023 and I have responded.

Help to Buy Scheme

Claire Hanna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will review the property cost cap for the Help to Buy ISA scheme.

Andrew Griffith: The Help to Buy: ISA scheme aims to help those who are struggling to save enough to get onto the housing ladder. Since its launch in 2015, the scheme has supported 531,507 property completions across the UK, with a mean property value of £176,828 compared with an average first-time buyer house price of £245,350. Help to Buy: ISA account holders can transfer their funds to a Lifetime ISA without incurring any penalties. The Lifetime ISA allows first-time buyers to benefit from the Government bonus when purchasing properties up to £450,000 anywhere in the UK. Further information on the Lifetime ISA together with a comprehensive list of other home purchase support schemes can be found on the Government’s website below: https://www.ownyourhome.gov.uk/ The Government keeps all aspects of savings policy under review.

High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to raise the High Income Child Benefit Charge threshold.

John Glen: The Government is committed to managing the public finances in a disciplined and responsible way. The Adjusted Net Income threshold of £50,000 for the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) means that the Government continues to support the majority of Child Benefit claimants, whilst ensuring that the fiscal position remains sustainable. The Government therefore considers that the current threshold remains appropriate. However, as with all elements of tax policy, the Government keeps this under review.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Youth Investment Fund

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason the Government has set up a second list of areas eligible for the Youth Investment Fund, comprising wards in upper tier local authorities.

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many applications to the Youth Investment Fund have been received as of 17 February 2022.

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish the details of the contract agreed with Social Investment Business to run applications to the Youth Investment Fund, including the amount of any payment to Social Investment Business for this service.

Stuart Andrew: The Youth Investment Fund will fund the construction or redevelopment of up to 300 youth facilities - such as small youth facilities, youth centres and activity centres - targeting investment in left-behind areas, where young people have the greatest need and lowest provision.The fund is designed to target support towards both upper tier local authority areas and more isolated pockets of need at district ward level. These smaller areas of need are often overlooked because they are masked by other relatively less deprived areas. All eligible areas have been identified and ranked by a combination of youth need and low provision, with detailed methodology underpinning their selection using high quality, robust and publicly available data. The methodology used has been published on GOV.UK.The main phase of the Youth Investment Fund, which opened on 1 August 2022, has received nearly 500 applications to date.Following a competitive application process, Social Investment Business were appointed as the intermediary grant maker to deliver the Youth Investment Fund on behalf of DCMS. The grant awarded to Social Investment Business is in line with the typical costs and scope outlined in the IGM specification of requirements published on GOV.UK.